After summering in Lake Michigan for decades, Mark found himself in a familiar swimming hole with his father, wife, and 3 sons anchored 75 feet offshore. Mark jumped into the cold Lake Michigan water and swam to shore. As he got within 10-15 yards he wanted to walk to shore but couldn't find the bottom. He could not find the bottom. His son found him on the bottom and began to pull him up. A retired navy-pilot happened to be nearby and helped his son. They pulled him to shore. He had no pulse, was turning purple, and started performing CPR. There happened to be another few CPR trained people on the beach. After 6-8 minutes they revived him. He believes it was a series of miracles.

He said he didn't experience the white light, but felt a sense of calm and warmth and knew he was close to the end. It was as if someone was telling him everything was going to be okay.

The fact that so many trained people were available on a remote beach contributes to his belief that this was a miraculous event.

It was a pretty long road to recovery after the complications of drowning over the next year. About a year into his recovery he chose to retire early. Mark says he crossed a line between a heavy drinker and an alcoholic. His recovery became a priority. His prior life was one of selfishness and greed and now he views his mission as compassion and helping others.

He also got a prostate cancer diagnosis that is, at the time of this episode, in remission.

His near-death experiences were traumatic for Mark's family. His wife stayed by his side 24-7 in the hospital. They thought, early on, that he would be braindead. She also stood by him throughout the next year or two as he struggled to quit drinking. His wife has a strong faith and these events brought them all closer in their faith. He is now 6 years sober and it took a lot of prayers, mediation, community, and treatment.
Mark is now very active in Alcoholics Anonymous.