Many might describe a close encounter or medical scare as a near-death experience, yet for John Williams, a 39-year-old from the UK, the term hardly encompasses the gravity of his ordeal. Known to many as just another name, John Williams had an encounter that left even medical professionals astounded.
In November 2004, John took a trip to the seaside town of Whitby with his partner to celebrate her 40th birthday.
As recounted to Metro, the evening began normally enough with a meal at a cozy pub, the company of loved ones, and the chill of a winter breeze outside.
However, in the midst of dinner, John suddenly felt a wave of heat, perspiration, and dizziness. Shortly after, he collapsed and swiftly found himself surrounded by the flashing lights of an ambulance, racing to the hospital following a severe heart attack.
Hours passed before John regained consciousness, enveloped in a sea of medical equipment. A consultant leaned over to him and straightforwardly stated: “You’ve been lucky.”
The doctor elaborated, drawing a line on his hand: “With heart attacks, you either live or you die. There’s no in between.”
It was revealed that John had suffered a myocardial infarction, a critical emergency where the heart’s blood supply becomes obstructed.
Yet, this was not the conclusion of John’s journey.
Nearly a year after this incident, John was preparing for a triple heart bypass in a private hospital in Leeds.
Despite the impending surgery requiring his heart to be temporarily stopped, John experienced an unexpected sense of tranquility.
He remarked to Metro: “You’d have thought I would have been anxious, considering doctors were about to slice me open, break my ribs, and stop my heart, but this calmness just washed over me like something I’d never felt before.”
During the period awaiting his surgery, John sensed a peculiar presence—that of his late father and grandfather.
He explained: “I knew they weren’t physically there, but I could sense them with me. It was almost as if they had come to wish me luck.”
During the operation, John claimed to see them again, describing the place as ‘heaven’.
“We were in the same room together, and I remember saying to them, ‘I’ll see you soon, I can’t wait to see you both, it’s been such a long time’,” he shared.
John recounted that his grandfather responded warmly, noting: “You’ve grown up since I last saw you. We’ll see you very soon.”
His father’s message was more resolute: “You’ve got two young daughters at home… Not just yet.”
Upon awakening, John initially believed he had simply regained consciousness post-surgery. In reality, he was emerging from an induced coma several days later.
Unbeknownst to him at the time, his heart had entered arrhythmia during the procedure—a condition where the heart’s electrical signals are disrupted, causing abnormal rhythms. This necessitated multiple defibrillation attempts by doctors.
In total, John’s heart ceased to beat 17 times within a span of just 13 minutes.
Looking at his chest, he found two rectangular burn marks, evidence of his ordeal.
Reflecting on his experience, John stated: “I still can’t fully explain what happened or when it happened,” adding, “All I know is that it felt so real, but at the same time, otherworldly. I have never felt such calmness since.”