A boy named Daniel, along with his mother, father, and a good male friend, traveled to Medjugorje for its Youth Festival, which occurred July 31st through August 6th, 2010.During one of the days of their pilgrimage, toward the end of the festival week, they decided to travel to the beautiful Kravice Waterfall, located ten kilometers outside of Medjugorje, near the town of Mostar in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
They were hardly alone on their pilgrimage. Over 50,000 youth and more than 500 priests came from around the world to attend the popular festival. During a large midday gathering, one of the Franciscan priests in Medjugorje made a brief announcement, asking everyone to pray for a young man named Daniel. Then there was silence. Nothing more was said. The priest didn’t share any details. No one knew at the time why they were praying for him.
What people didn’t know was that Daniel had been swimming in the waters of the Kravice Waterfall, and had just drowned. He had been under water for a full seven minutes, when his friend noticed he was gone. Panicked, the friend dove under water, found Daniel, pulled him up, and dragged his lifeless body to shore. Panick-stricken, Daniel’s father, a medic, tried to resuscitate him, but to no avail.
They picked up Daniel’s heavy, limp body, and drove him to the town of Mostar, which had the nearest hospital, an hour away. But Daniel was corpse-like. His lungs were full of water, and any human being, who hasn’t received oxygen for twenty minutes or more, will inevitably suffer serious brain damage.
At the hospital, the medical staff pumped the water from his lungs and tried everything they could do to save him. Yet their efforts were hopeless. After a short time, the hospital declared him officially dead. Daniel’s parents and friend collapsed inside, overcome with grief and shock.
The following morning, Daniel started to move. He said to his mom, “I don’t really recognize you, but would you pray to Jesus with me?” Then later that day, his memory returned in full, and he asked if he could get a bigger bed, because he couldn’t stretch out his legs.
Untold joy and thanksgiving burst forth from Daniel’s hospital bed and traveled throughout Medjugorje. And to note the blessings which can come from charity, Daniel’s father had paid for the pilgrimage of the boy who rescued his son from the water.
In Medjugorje, miracles abound, and this is one is perhaps the greatest yet. Through the intercession of Mary of Medjugorje and the prayers of faithful pilgrims, Jesus raised someone from the dead, just as he did when he walked the earth 2000 years ago.
This true story was heard first-hand and told by Nancy Latta, (translator for Fr. Jozo and founder of Our Lady of the Sacred Retreat House in Medjugorje), to Jordan Lindsey, a Medjugorje pilgrim and seminarian, present during this Youth Festival.(Source: Medjugorje Miracles website of Christine Watkins author of New Medjugorje book Full of Grace: Miraculous Stories of Healing and Conversion through Mary's Intercession. Wayne Weible calls it "direct, honest, heart-rending, and miraculous)
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