August 4, 2025 • 23 mins
A dream hike to a Hawaiian waterfall turns into a nightmare when a flash flood sweeps away a father and two of his children — including his medically fragile daughter strapped to his back. As the raging current tears their family apart, one desperate prayer changes everything.
Don’t miss this gripping first part of a true miracle story you’ll never forget. Part 2 coming out Aug 18, 2025.
Rich Greenberg MD has also written a book about their experience called Surviving A Miracle: The Extraordinary True Story of a Daring Rescue along the Nā Pali Coast of Kauaʻi.
If you're a fan of true crime but crave a dose of inspiration instead of tales of darkness, The Miracle Files is your perfect alternative. With the same storytelling intensity as true crime podcasts, The Miracle Files delves into the details of each miraculous story, exploring the people and circumstances that turned these moments into something unforgettable. Whether you believe in divine intervention or human perseverance, this podcast will leave you feeling uplifted and amazed.
Website: www.themiraclefiles.com
Podcast/RSS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-miracle-files/id1714203488
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_miracle_files_podcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.phpid=100093613416005&mibextid=LQQJ4d
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.miracle.files?_t=8rB5ooQd482&_r=1
Don’t miss this gripping first part of a true miracle story you’ll never forget. Part 2 coming out Aug 18, 2025.
Rich Greenberg MD has also written a book about their experience called Surviving A Miracle: The Extraordinary True Story of a Daring Rescue along the Nā Pali Coast of Kauaʻi.
If you're a fan of true crime but crave a dose of inspiration instead of tales of darkness, The Miracle Files is your perfect alternative. With the same storytelling intensity as true crime podcasts, The Miracle Files delves into the details of each miraculous story, exploring the people and circumstances that turned these moments into something unforgettable. Whether you believe in divine intervention or human perseverance, this podcast will leave you feeling uplifted and amazed.
Website: www.themiraclefiles.com
Podcast/RSS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-miracle-files/id1714203488
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_miracle_files_podcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.phpid=100093613416005&mibextid=LQQJ4d
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@the.miracle.files?_t=8rB5ooQd482&_r=1
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
We saw part of the waterfall, but you could almost
not see it because the wind just started howling, and
I said, hey, take one quick look. It looks like
the storm's moving in. And we got to get out
of here.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
They hurried across the stream, but unbeknownst to the Greenbergs,
the water level was rising rapidly as unseen rain poured
down from the distant mountains above.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
And we're about two thirds of the way across the stream,
and out of the corner of my eye and my
peripheral vision, I see zack slip.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Which reached for Zach. But just like that, Zach was
gone and the river wasn't done yet.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
And in essence, it felt like someone really strong and
powerful stufved me from behind forcefully, and now we're fighting
for our lives in heavy rapids.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
This is the Miracle Files. I'm Emily Jones.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
And I'm Holly Worthington. We're two sisters who love a
captain true story, but we're also seeking more light in
our lives.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable,
uplifting stories of God's miracles. We hope you'll join us
on this journey.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Welcome back, to the Miracle files. We've all seen how
terrifying flash floods can be. We've seen an example of
this in Texas, where our hearts are still with anyone
who's been affected, but also other places experience flash floods
and they can be so devastating. And our story today
actually takes place in Hawaii, where flash floods can also occur.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, flash floods are absolutely terrifying to me. Our mom
grew up in a place where they have flash floods,
and she's always like preaching be careful, Like every time
I would go to Lake Powell. We go every year,
and she would always say, watch out for the flash floods,
don't go in any small canyons. And I always just
kind of shrugged her off. But then a couple years ago,
we were at Lake Powell and it started to rain
(02:00):
a little bit, not much, and all of a sudden,
a massive waterfall just appeared from this cliff above us,
and it was so close to us, like we could
feel the mist of this waterfall on our faces, and
if our boat that we were on had been under
this waterfall, it would have suck us for sure. It
just imagined. It was like firsthand experience seeing how powerful
(02:22):
and fast these flash floods can be. They are terrifying.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
So just FYI, if you're heading out anywhere where there's
flash floods, please always check the weather forecast first.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
It's so critical. Yeah, and just a heads up. This
is going to be part one of two episodes, just
so you're not caught off guard.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, this story has so many crazy things that happen
in it. Also so many miracles. Yeah, so we couldn't
fit it all into one episode. You'll see why. It's
just amazing. So make sure you come back. Yep.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
All right, let's get started. Pediatric physician Rich Greenberg and
his wife Carrie had two children, Zach and Samantha, but
their family didn't feel quite complete. They began fostering a
baby girl named Marla, who had a lot of medical
needs and developmental disabilities. Soon, the family came to see
(03:21):
the incredible spirit baby Marla possessed and saw past her disabilities.
A year later, they had the opportunity to adopt little Marla.
This brought them so much joy and finally their family
felt whole. When Marla was three, the green Bergs took
her and their two other children, twelve year old Zach
(03:44):
and nine year old Samantha, on a family vacation to Kawhi.
Joining them was the Greenberg's close friend who they called
Uncle Steve. Rich and Carrie had honeymoon and Kawai years
before and yearned to share the enchanting view of the
island with their children. Here's Rich.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So our family traveled to Kwhi and things were relatively
calm for the first day or two. We just enjoyed
the beach and getting settled. The main focus for me
on this trip is I wanted to do a special
hike that I had done twice before and share it
with my family.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
The next morning, eager to undertake the hike to a
breath taking waterfall, the Greenbergs headed out, expecting an adventure
filled with family bonding time and fun. Little did they
know nature had other plans. Rich carried Marla in a
rented backpack because Marla was unable to make the hike
(04:41):
due to her disabilities. Marla was small for her age,
so Rich was confident he could carry her for the
duration of the eight mile round trip hike. Unfortunately, the
fit of the backpack was a bit snug for Marla.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
And so with the help of Carrie and Steve and
myself kind of shimmied her legs down into this backpack,
but was really tight fit. So we did not buckle
the strap in it because we thought there's no way
she's coming out of this backpack.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
As the family started the hike that morning, the bright
sun offered no hint that a storm brood in the
mountains above. As they hiked, the family sang Marla's favorite song,
called a Child's Prayer. The sweet melody echoed through the
lush landscape, offering comfort and peace. Rich led the way
across a gentle, winding river three times. After making the
(05:35):
fourth and final river crossing, something struck Rich as a
little strange.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
We're about there and we can start to hear this
roar of this waterfall, which was unusual. I hadn't been
there in years, but I thought, wow, this is so
much louder than I remember.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
The family turned a corner where part of the waterfall
came into view. Immediately a switch went off in Rich's head.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
We saw part of the waterfall, but you could almost
not see it because the wind just started howling and
blowing sheets of water at us. The wind was actually
taking the water from the waterfall and just blowing powerful
sheets in our face, pushing us back. We were holding
our hands in front of us, just like we can't
take this. It was being pushed back, and so Marla
(06:20):
started screaming because she doesn't like the wind or the rain.
And Carrie and Steve had caught up to us at
that point, and I said, hey, take one quick look.
It looks like the storm's moving in and we got
to get out of here.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
The family turned to go as the roar of the
waterfall filled the canyon, echoing ominously through the landscape. They
hurried across the stream that they had walked through ten
to fifteen minutes earlier, but what was once a serene
stream was transforming unbeknownst to the Greenbergs. The water level
was rising rapidly as unseen rain poured down from the
(06:56):
distant mountains above.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
And Marla was in the backpack. I grabbed Samantha by
my right hand, told her, hey, you grabbed Zach's hands.
We're all going to stay together. And Carrie and Steve
were a little bit behind us. But we started in
the stream and we're about two thirds of the way
across the stream.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Rich held tightly to nine year old Samantha's hand, forming
a human chain, with twelve year old Zach on her
other side. As they crossed the river, the water level
grew higher and the current more powerful. Without a moment's notice,
Rich caught a glimpse of something that would make any
father's heart plummet.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
And out of the corner of my eye and my
peripheral vision, I see zach slip.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Rich immediately let go of Samantha's hand and reached for Zach.
But just like that, Zach was gone swept away by
the stampeding current, and the river wasn't done yet.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
And in essence, it felt like someone really strong and
powerful stuved me from behind forcefully. And now Marla, who's
in the backpack with me, and me and my son
Zach are now fighting for our lives in heavy, heavy rapids,
(08:12):
forceful rapids.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Panic searched through Rich's heart as he too got swept
away in the powerful.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Current, and initially Marla cried, then she screamed, and then
there was silence because the force of the river was
pulling me backwards with the backpack, and so I was
mostly submerged. I knew that meant she was completely underwater.
And at that moment I knew there was a good
(08:41):
chance that I was going to die and my children
were going to die. But as a father, I was
unwilling to give up.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Rich tried to swim, he tried to flip over so
Marla wouldn't drown, but nothing he tried made any difference.
I found himself completely powerless against the force of the
rushing water, and in that moment of absolute desperation, Rich
could only do one thing. He cried out to the Almighty.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
I have a strong belief in God, and I said, God,
I don't want to die. I don't want my children
to die. Help us.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
But even as Rich pleaded with God, the water continued
to rage all around him. Suddenly Rich caught sight of zach.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
I was able to grab Zachary's hand only for a second,
and then the force of the river ripped him away again.
That happened twice. After the second time. I never saw
him again. He just went further downstream from us, and
my head was mostly underwater. I did my best to
lean forward to get my head out of water, to breathe,
and to try and give Marla a hope of survival.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Rich had no idea what had happened to his other daughter, Samantha,
but incredibly, Samantha was clinging to a boulder not far
from the shore. Carrie and Steve had watched in horror
as Rich and the two other children got swept away.
Carrie rushed into the water to try to help her family.
She couldn't just watch over half of her family disappear
(10:16):
without doing something. She felt the force of the water
start to push her as she waded in. She too
held onto a bowlder and consider jumping into the deeper,
raging current.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Carrie said to Steve, go help Samantha. I'm going to
try and go in, and he said, no, you're not,
And thankfully he was there to grab Samantha and Carrie's
hand and lead them to the shore. And then Carrie
went running down the trail.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Sprinting along the river, Carrie spotted Rich and poor Marla
struggling to keep their heads above water. As Carrie's feet
pounded the ground. She ran helplessly along the river bank,
her eyes searching for any sign of zech.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
And so we're just trying to survive, fighting for our lives,
and further downstream I saw a man standing on the
river bank, and I thought to myself, this is your
only hope, and so with all the strength and power
I could, I lifted my head out of the water,
tried my best not to swallow and choke on any
(11:18):
more water, and I screamed as loud as I could help.
And then I saw this man turn and look towards
me with panic in his eyes. Unfortunately, Zach was ahead
of me, and as soon as this man turned to
look at my situation, Zach, who didn't make any sound,
passed right in front of him.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
The man, whose name was Mike, stood on the opposite
river bank from Carrie. He was a photographer and had
been hiking with his wife Stacy when the flash flood hit.
He felt heartsick as Zach whisked by and thought, oh
my gosh, I just let that kid die, but he
was determined to try to at least help Rich. It
(12:01):
was still heading toward him, struggling against.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
The current, and I thought, I've got to get over
towards where this man is, which was more towards the
opposite side, the east side of the river. But I
had zero control of my body. I mean, we're talking
heavy rapids like your whitewater rafting and the heaviest rapids,
and no control over my body. So I had to
move several feet to get across this side of the river.
(12:27):
And as we were coming up towards him, I saw
this massive boulder, this ten to twelve foot boulder, and
I thought popped into my head. I need to reach
that boulder and have it stop me so that I
don't get pushed down further in the river. So with
all my force, even though I had no control, I flung,
and I flung that way towards the river, and somehow,
(12:48):
only by the power of angels and your miracles, by
a blessing of God, I was able to reach that
rock with half of my back.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Rich felt a thud as he hit his back onto
the boulder. Had mar Lip been hurt by the impact?
Was she even still there? He couldn't feel her or
hear her. The river was now up to Rich's shoulder level,
almost to his neck. The current pulled at Rich, beckoning
like a ravenous siren, calling him to rejoin the horde
(13:18):
of rapids and get swept away again.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
And it is pulling me with my right side, trying
to drag me away off of this boulder downstream. And
I'm fighting as much as I can because I'm only
on this boulder to shimmy to my left to try
and skewed as far as I can, but I'm under
this force of pressure of this water up to my
shoulder level.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Rich knew he had to muster any strength he had
left to try to stay on this rock. Mike stood
on the shore watching Rich fight against the current. Just
moments before, Mike's parents had been hiking with him in Stacy,
but had decided to head back down the trail when
they saw the condition of the water, but rather than
join them, for some reason, Mike had felt compelled to stay. Stacy.
(14:07):
Wanted him to turn back and go with his parents.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
And he said, no, I just want to stay here
because maybe the river will drop. And she said, well,
you're a smart guy. You know the river's not going
to drop. The river's rising. And he said, I know,
but I just feel like I have to be here.
So right then and there a short time later, his
wife stays, he says, look, there's a shoe, which was
my shoe, that is in the river. So they watched
(14:31):
the shoe float in the river. And then right after
that is when I screamed.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Only the day before, Mike had purchased a nine foot
extendable tripod, and now he had a use for that
tripod he'd never dreamed of.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Mike got in the river and his wife just at
the edge of the river. His wife held onto his torso,
and he extends this nine foot extendable tripod. And he's
a muscular guy.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Mike stretched out the tripod toward Rich as Rich struggled
to to keep himself on the boulder.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
I had no idea what was happening with Marla. She
wasn't strapped in this backpack. I couldn't hear her at all.
The river was crazy loud, and so I had no
idea what was happening with Marla.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
What Rich didn't realize was at that very moment, Marla
was slipping free with the impact of the rock. Her
body had almost entirely come out of the backpack. Only
her tiny feet remained caught as the rapids tugged on
the rest of her body. Her mother, Carrie, watched in terror.
She desperately wanted to jump into the water, but a
(15:36):
passing hiker stopped her. Mike reached out with his tripod,
but Rich was still clinging half on, half off the boulder.
Summoning every ounce of strength he had, Rich hurled himself
the left. Now finally in front of the boulder, Rich
inched his way toward Mike and managed to grasp hold
(15:56):
of the tripod. Mike pulled with all of face his might,
dragging Rich across the river to the shore. Rich felt
like crying when he reached dry ground. Rich's first thought
was Marla.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
I didn't even know if she was alive or still
in the backpack. I rip off the backpack because I
want to look at her.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Rich heaved a giant sigh of relief. Miraculously, Marla was
still in the backpack. But it wasn't until he saw
her eyes stare back into his that the true weight
lifted from his chest. He could hardly believe it. Somehow
she had stayed with him through the chaos, and somehow
she was still conscious and breathing like the rushing water
(16:42):
of the river. Rich's heart flooded with joy, but his
moment of relief was fleeting. His thoughts immediately turned to
his son, Zach, who was still in the water. He
would need to leave Marla in order to go after
his son.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
I look at her, She's alive and okay. And I
just hander in the backpack to these total strangers, albeit
strangers who have just saved our life, because I'm now
panicked about my son.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
And without a second thought, Rich took off running. He
was soaked with water, his feet were bare, his body
bloodied from hitting rocks in the river, but he didn't care.
All he could think about now was Zach.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
And I just leave Marla with these strangers, and I
go running down this rock laden trail, feeling no pains,
sprinting as fast as I can. I called that the
worst moment of my life, because while I was in
the river and I knew there was a chance we
could all die, I wasn't having time to really process
and think about it. But now, all on the river
(17:46):
bank and on the trail, I knew there was a
good chance that he was either already dead or he
was going to die.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Racing down the trail, Rich pleaded with God to help
his son.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
It was hard. I called aloud to God over and
over again. Please dot, don't let it dot, please do hut,
don't let him to hut. And I ran as fast
as I could.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
As Rich ran, he saw a couple ahead of him
down the trail. It was Mike's parents. They had run
frantically alongside Zach, telling him to keep his legs up
and in front of him so his head wouldn't slam
into a boulder.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
And so as I came across them, I was screaming frantically,
have you seen my son? Have you seen my boy?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
The couple had, in fact seen his son, With fear
in their eyes, they pointed across the now thirty to
forty foot wide, raging river and said he's over there.
And that, my friends, is where our story ends for now.
But there's so much more to this story. It's just
(18:51):
too much for one episode. So please come back in
two weeks to hear the rest of this incredible miracle story.
But for now, let's talk about this one.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I cannot wait for part two of the story, but
let's get into this one. Like, first of all, how
crazy would that be? How scary would that be to
have Marla on your back in a backpack?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
I know, in that river, I mean, to have any
three year old, they would be helpless. But then you
add on top of that, her special needs and it's just,
oh my gosh, so terrifying.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Yeah, something we didn't mention in the story is that
Marla was tufed at the time, so she was not
used to having any kind of anything coming in her mouth,
and to have all that water coming into her mouth
and her nose, it had to be so traumatic for her.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Rich said that for a while she would like really
struggle to have anything close to her nose or her mouth.
I mean, it's so sad and yet such a miracle
that she survived.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Seriously, and Rich shared something with us that just gives
me goosebumps when I think about it. When he hit
that boulder and and there was a nearby hiker that
were watching the whole thing happen. The hiker afterwards told
Rich something that I thought was really interesting.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
After this all happened, someone said to me, how did
you do that? And I said, what are you talking about?
And he said, how are you able to help your
daughter in the backpack? I said, what are you talking about?
And they said, you don't know and I said, no,
I don't know what you mean. And they said, as
you were on that rock, your daughter essentially almost fell
out of the backpack. She was leaning to the side
and her body was being pulled out of the backpack,
(20:30):
and she was ninety percent out of the backpack. And
they said, and then all of a sudden, you did
some kind of maneuver where you shifted to the left,
and she was no longer falling out of the backpack.
And then when I got pulled ashore by Mike, she
was firmly seated in this backpack. And I said, I
didn't do anything. I had no idea what was happening
with Marl. I didn't even know if she was alive
(20:52):
or still in the backpack. And I said, it took
three of us to shimmy her down in this backpack.
And under those conditions, there is zero chance that it's
possible without the help of our heavenly father and angels,
that she is seated firmly in that backpack when I
get pulled to shore.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Yeah. In other words, that was a tight fit in
that backpack, and according to Rich, it would be impossible
for her just to slip right back in. It's amazing.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Yeah, I believe they definitely had angels helping them, and
definitely had earthly angels helping them as well, I mean
for Mike to have that tripod.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Yeah, incredible. I mean, how often do you just have
something that's nine feet with you? Like he never had
a regular hiking stick, it wouldn't have done anything. And yeah,
I'm a photographer. I go hiking with my nice camera
and I never take a tripod, and if I do,
it's not nine feet long.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
I mean, yeah, that's really long.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
And he got it the day before. I mean, it's
just so amazing that he was able to help rich
in that situation, and that he felt prompted to even
be there. Yeah, that he.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Stayed when everyone else was trying to get him to
leave and he just said he felt like he needed
to stay for some reason.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Yeah, it's amazing. Yeah, clearly there.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Was divine intervention in this story, and there were inspired
people as well who helped this family.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
So amazing people, and there is so much more to
this story. So make sure that you come back in
two weeks so you can hear the rest of the stories.
The Part two is even more incredible than part one,
believe it or not, So make sure you subscribe so
you don't miss that notification.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
And thank you all for joining us today. Until next time,
remember to look for miracles in your own lives. Thank
you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share,
contact us at the Miracle files dot com or find
us on Facebook.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
We're now releasing multiple episodes each month, so subscribe on
your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for amazing video content
as well.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Join us next time we discover more of God's miracles,
and don't forget to look for His light in your
own lives.
We saw part of the waterfall, but you could almost
not see it because the wind just started howling, and
I said, hey, take one quick look. It looks like
the storm's moving in. And we got to get out
of here.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
They hurried across the stream, but unbeknownst to the Greenbergs,
the water level was rising rapidly as unseen rain poured
down from the distant mountains above.
Speaker 1 (00:21):
And we're about two thirds of the way across the stream,
and out of the corner of my eye and my
peripheral vision, I see zack slip.
Speaker 2 (00:28):
Which reached for Zach. But just like that, Zach was
gone and the river wasn't done yet.
Speaker 1 (00:35):
And in essence, it felt like someone really strong and
powerful stufved me from behind forcefully, and now we're fighting
for our lives in heavy rapids.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
This is the Miracle Files. I'm Emily Jones.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
And I'm Holly Worthington. We're two sisters who love a
captain true story, but we're also seeking more light in
our lives.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
So we're on a mission to find and share unforgettable,
uplifting stories of God's miracles. We hope you'll join us
on this journey.
Speaker 3 (01:15):
Welcome back, to the Miracle files. We've all seen how
terrifying flash floods can be. We've seen an example of
this in Texas, where our hearts are still with anyone
who's been affected, but also other places experience flash floods
and they can be so devastating. And our story today
actually takes place in Hawaii, where flash floods can also occur.
Speaker 2 (01:38):
Yeah, flash floods are absolutely terrifying to me. Our mom
grew up in a place where they have flash floods,
and she's always like preaching be careful, Like every time
I would go to Lake Powell. We go every year,
and she would always say, watch out for the flash floods,
don't go in any small canyons. And I always just
kind of shrugged her off. But then a couple years ago,
we were at Lake Powell and it started to rain
(02:00):
a little bit, not much, and all of a sudden,
a massive waterfall just appeared from this cliff above us,
and it was so close to us, like we could
feel the mist of this waterfall on our faces, and
if our boat that we were on had been under
this waterfall, it would have suck us for sure. It
just imagined. It was like firsthand experience seeing how powerful
(02:22):
and fast these flash floods can be. They are terrifying.
Speaker 1 (02:26):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
So just FYI, if you're heading out anywhere where there's
flash floods, please always check the weather forecast first.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
It's so critical. Yeah, and just a heads up. This
is going to be part one of two episodes, just
so you're not caught off guard.
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, this story has so many crazy things that happen
in it. Also so many miracles. Yeah, so we couldn't
fit it all into one episode. You'll see why. It's
just amazing. So make sure you come back. Yep.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
All right, let's get started. Pediatric physician Rich Greenberg and
his wife Carrie had two children, Zach and Samantha, but
their family didn't feel quite complete. They began fostering a
baby girl named Marla, who had a lot of medical
needs and developmental disabilities. Soon, the family came to see
(03:21):
the incredible spirit baby Marla possessed and saw past her disabilities.
A year later, they had the opportunity to adopt little Marla.
This brought them so much joy and finally their family
felt whole. When Marla was three, the green Bergs took
her and their two other children, twelve year old Zach
(03:44):
and nine year old Samantha, on a family vacation to Kawhi.
Joining them was the Greenberg's close friend who they called
Uncle Steve. Rich and Carrie had honeymoon and Kawai years
before and yearned to share the enchanting view of the
island with their children. Here's Rich.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
So our family traveled to Kwhi and things were relatively
calm for the first day or two. We just enjoyed
the beach and getting settled. The main focus for me
on this trip is I wanted to do a special
hike that I had done twice before and share it
with my family.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
The next morning, eager to undertake the hike to a
breath taking waterfall, the Greenbergs headed out, expecting an adventure
filled with family bonding time and fun. Little did they
know nature had other plans. Rich carried Marla in a
rented backpack because Marla was unable to make the hike
(04:41):
due to her disabilities. Marla was small for her age,
so Rich was confident he could carry her for the
duration of the eight mile round trip hike. Unfortunately, the
fit of the backpack was a bit snug for Marla.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
And so with the help of Carrie and Steve and
myself kind of shimmied her legs down into this backpack,
but was really tight fit. So we did not buckle
the strap in it because we thought there's no way
she's coming out of this backpack.
Speaker 2 (05:11):
As the family started the hike that morning, the bright
sun offered no hint that a storm brood in the
mountains above. As they hiked, the family sang Marla's favorite song,
called a Child's Prayer. The sweet melody echoed through the
lush landscape, offering comfort and peace. Rich led the way
across a gentle, winding river three times. After making the
(05:35):
fourth and final river crossing, something struck Rich as a
little strange.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
We're about there and we can start to hear this
roar of this waterfall, which was unusual. I hadn't been
there in years, but I thought, wow, this is so
much louder than I remember.
Speaker 2 (05:51):
The family turned a corner where part of the waterfall
came into view. Immediately a switch went off in Rich's head.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
We saw part of the waterfall, but you could almost
not see it because the wind just started howling and
blowing sheets of water at us. The wind was actually
taking the water from the waterfall and just blowing powerful
sheets in our face, pushing us back. We were holding
our hands in front of us, just like we can't
take this. It was being pushed back, and so Marla
(06:20):
started screaming because she doesn't like the wind or the rain.
And Carrie and Steve had caught up to us at
that point, and I said, hey, take one quick look.
It looks like the storm's moving in and we got
to get out of here.
Speaker 2 (06:32):
The family turned to go as the roar of the
waterfall filled the canyon, echoing ominously through the landscape. They
hurried across the stream that they had walked through ten
to fifteen minutes earlier, but what was once a serene
stream was transforming unbeknownst to the Greenbergs. The water level
was rising rapidly as unseen rain poured down from the
(06:56):
distant mountains above.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
And Marla was in the backpack. I grabbed Samantha by
my right hand, told her, hey, you grabbed Zach's hands.
We're all going to stay together. And Carrie and Steve
were a little bit behind us. But we started in
the stream and we're about two thirds of the way
across the stream.
Speaker 2 (07:12):
Rich held tightly to nine year old Samantha's hand, forming
a human chain, with twelve year old Zach on her
other side. As they crossed the river, the water level
grew higher and the current more powerful. Without a moment's notice,
Rich caught a glimpse of something that would make any
father's heart plummet.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
And out of the corner of my eye and my
peripheral vision, I see zach slip.
Speaker 2 (07:37):
Rich immediately let go of Samantha's hand and reached for Zach.
But just like that, Zach was gone swept away by
the stampeding current, and the river wasn't done yet.
Speaker 1 (07:51):
And in essence, it felt like someone really strong and
powerful stuved me from behind forcefully. And now Marla, who's
in the backpack with me, and me and my son
Zach are now fighting for our lives in heavy, heavy rapids,
(08:12):
forceful rapids.
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Panic searched through Rich's heart as he too got swept
away in the powerful.
Speaker 1 (08:19):
Current, and initially Marla cried, then she screamed, and then
there was silence because the force of the river was
pulling me backwards with the backpack, and so I was
mostly submerged. I knew that meant she was completely underwater.
And at that moment I knew there was a good
(08:41):
chance that I was going to die and my children
were going to die. But as a father, I was
unwilling to give up.
Speaker 2 (08:51):
Rich tried to swim, he tried to flip over so
Marla wouldn't drown, but nothing he tried made any difference.
I found himself completely powerless against the force of the
rushing water, and in that moment of absolute desperation, Rich
could only do one thing. He cried out to the Almighty.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
I have a strong belief in God, and I said, God,
I don't want to die. I don't want my children
to die. Help us.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
But even as Rich pleaded with God, the water continued
to rage all around him. Suddenly Rich caught sight of zach.
Speaker 1 (09:32):
I was able to grab Zachary's hand only for a second,
and then the force of the river ripped him away again.
That happened twice. After the second time. I never saw
him again. He just went further downstream from us, and
my head was mostly underwater. I did my best to
lean forward to get my head out of water, to breathe,
and to try and give Marla a hope of survival.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
Rich had no idea what had happened to his other daughter, Samantha,
but incredibly, Samantha was clinging to a boulder not far
from the shore. Carrie and Steve had watched in horror
as Rich and the two other children got swept away.
Carrie rushed into the water to try to help her family.
She couldn't just watch over half of her family disappear
(10:16):
without doing something. She felt the force of the water
start to push her as she waded in. She too
held onto a bowlder and consider jumping into the deeper,
raging current.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
Carrie said to Steve, go help Samantha. I'm going to
try and go in, and he said, no, you're not,
And thankfully he was there to grab Samantha and Carrie's
hand and lead them to the shore. And then Carrie
went running down the trail.
Speaker 2 (10:42):
Sprinting along the river, Carrie spotted Rich and poor Marla
struggling to keep their heads above water. As Carrie's feet
pounded the ground. She ran helplessly along the river bank,
her eyes searching for any sign of zech.
Speaker 1 (10:57):
And so we're just trying to survive, fighting for our lives,
and further downstream I saw a man standing on the
river bank, and I thought to myself, this is your
only hope, and so with all the strength and power
I could, I lifted my head out of the water,
tried my best not to swallow and choke on any
(11:18):
more water, and I screamed as loud as I could help.
And then I saw this man turn and look towards
me with panic in his eyes. Unfortunately, Zach was ahead
of me, and as soon as this man turned to
look at my situation, Zach, who didn't make any sound,
passed right in front of him.
Speaker 2 (11:39):
The man, whose name was Mike, stood on the opposite
river bank from Carrie. He was a photographer and had
been hiking with his wife Stacy when the flash flood hit.
He felt heartsick as Zach whisked by and thought, oh
my gosh, I just let that kid die, but he
was determined to try to at least help Rich. It
(12:01):
was still heading toward him, struggling against.
Speaker 1 (12:03):
The current, and I thought, I've got to get over
towards where this man is, which was more towards the
opposite side, the east side of the river. But I
had zero control of my body. I mean, we're talking
heavy rapids like your whitewater rafting and the heaviest rapids,
and no control over my body. So I had to
move several feet to get across this side of the river.
(12:27):
And as we were coming up towards him, I saw
this massive boulder, this ten to twelve foot boulder, and
I thought popped into my head. I need to reach
that boulder and have it stop me so that I
don't get pushed down further in the river. So with
all my force, even though I had no control, I flung,
and I flung that way towards the river, and somehow,
(12:48):
only by the power of angels and your miracles, by
a blessing of God, I was able to reach that
rock with half of my back.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Rich felt a thud as he hit his back onto
the boulder. Had mar Lip been hurt by the impact?
Was she even still there? He couldn't feel her or
hear her. The river was now up to Rich's shoulder level,
almost to his neck. The current pulled at Rich, beckoning
like a ravenous siren, calling him to rejoin the horde
(13:18):
of rapids and get swept away again.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
And it is pulling me with my right side, trying
to drag me away off of this boulder downstream. And
I'm fighting as much as I can because I'm only
on this boulder to shimmy to my left to try
and skewed as far as I can, but I'm under
this force of pressure of this water up to my
shoulder level.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Rich knew he had to muster any strength he had
left to try to stay on this rock. Mike stood
on the shore watching Rich fight against the current. Just
moments before, Mike's parents had been hiking with him in Stacy,
but had decided to head back down the trail when
they saw the condition of the water, but rather than
join them, for some reason, Mike had felt compelled to stay. Stacy.
(14:07):
Wanted him to turn back and go with his parents.
Speaker 1 (14:10):
And he said, no, I just want to stay here
because maybe the river will drop. And she said, well,
you're a smart guy. You know the river's not going
to drop. The river's rising. And he said, I know,
but I just feel like I have to be here.
So right then and there a short time later, his
wife stays, he says, look, there's a shoe, which was
my shoe, that is in the river. So they watched
(14:31):
the shoe float in the river. And then right after
that is when I screamed.
Speaker 2 (14:35):
Only the day before, Mike had purchased a nine foot
extendable tripod, and now he had a use for that
tripod he'd never dreamed of.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
Mike got in the river and his wife just at
the edge of the river. His wife held onto his torso,
and he extends this nine foot extendable tripod. And he's
a muscular guy.
Speaker 2 (14:56):
Mike stretched out the tripod toward Rich as Rich struggled
to to keep himself on the boulder.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
I had no idea what was happening with Marla. She
wasn't strapped in this backpack. I couldn't hear her at all.
The river was crazy loud, and so I had no
idea what was happening with Marla.
Speaker 2 (15:14):
What Rich didn't realize was at that very moment, Marla
was slipping free with the impact of the rock. Her
body had almost entirely come out of the backpack. Only
her tiny feet remained caught as the rapids tugged on
the rest of her body. Her mother, Carrie, watched in terror.
She desperately wanted to jump into the water, but a
(15:36):
passing hiker stopped her. Mike reached out with his tripod,
but Rich was still clinging half on, half off the boulder.
Summoning every ounce of strength he had, Rich hurled himself
the left. Now finally in front of the boulder, Rich
inched his way toward Mike and managed to grasp hold
(15:56):
of the tripod. Mike pulled with all of face his might,
dragging Rich across the river to the shore. Rich felt
like crying when he reached dry ground. Rich's first thought
was Marla.
Speaker 1 (16:11):
I didn't even know if she was alive or still
in the backpack. I rip off the backpack because I
want to look at her.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Rich heaved a giant sigh of relief. Miraculously, Marla was
still in the backpack. But it wasn't until he saw
her eyes stare back into his that the true weight
lifted from his chest. He could hardly believe it. Somehow
she had stayed with him through the chaos, and somehow
she was still conscious and breathing like the rushing water
(16:42):
of the river. Rich's heart flooded with joy, but his
moment of relief was fleeting. His thoughts immediately turned to
his son, Zach, who was still in the water. He
would need to leave Marla in order to go after
his son.
Speaker 1 (16:58):
I look at her, She's alive and okay. And I
just hander in the backpack to these total strangers, albeit
strangers who have just saved our life, because I'm now
panicked about my son.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
And without a second thought, Rich took off running. He
was soaked with water, his feet were bare, his body
bloodied from hitting rocks in the river, but he didn't care.
All he could think about now was Zach.
Speaker 1 (17:24):
And I just leave Marla with these strangers, and I
go running down this rock laden trail, feeling no pains,
sprinting as fast as I can. I called that the
worst moment of my life, because while I was in
the river and I knew there was a chance we
could all die, I wasn't having time to really process
and think about it. But now, all on the river
(17:46):
bank and on the trail, I knew there was a
good chance that he was either already dead or he
was going to die.
Speaker 2 (17:52):
Racing down the trail, Rich pleaded with God to help
his son.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
It was hard. I called aloud to God over and
over again. Please dot, don't let it dot, please do hut,
don't let him to hut. And I ran as fast
as I could.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
As Rich ran, he saw a couple ahead of him
down the trail. It was Mike's parents. They had run
frantically alongside Zach, telling him to keep his legs up
and in front of him so his head wouldn't slam
into a boulder.
Speaker 1 (18:24):
And so as I came across them, I was screaming frantically,
have you seen my son? Have you seen my boy?
Speaker 2 (18:29):
The couple had, in fact seen his son, With fear
in their eyes, they pointed across the now thirty to
forty foot wide, raging river and said he's over there.
And that, my friends, is where our story ends for now.
But there's so much more to this story. It's just
(18:51):
too much for one episode. So please come back in
two weeks to hear the rest of this incredible miracle story.
But for now, let's talk about this one.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
I cannot wait for part two of the story, but
let's get into this one. Like, first of all, how
crazy would that be? How scary would that be to
have Marla on your back in a backpack?
Speaker 2 (19:14):
I know, in that river, I mean, to have any
three year old, they would be helpless. But then you
add on top of that, her special needs and it's just,
oh my gosh, so terrifying.
Speaker 3 (19:24):
Yeah, something we didn't mention in the story is that
Marla was tufed at the time, so she was not
used to having any kind of anything coming in her mouth,
and to have all that water coming into her mouth
and her nose, it had to be so traumatic for her.
Speaker 1 (19:39):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (19:39):
Rich said that for a while she would like really
struggle to have anything close to her nose or her mouth.
I mean, it's so sad and yet such a miracle
that she survived.
Speaker 3 (19:51):
Seriously, and Rich shared something with us that just gives
me goosebumps when I think about it. When he hit
that boulder and and there was a nearby hiker that
were watching the whole thing happen. The hiker afterwards told
Rich something that I thought was really interesting.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
After this all happened, someone said to me, how did
you do that? And I said, what are you talking about?
And he said, how are you able to help your
daughter in the backpack? I said, what are you talking about?
And they said, you don't know and I said, no,
I don't know what you mean. And they said, as
you were on that rock, your daughter essentially almost fell
out of the backpack. She was leaning to the side
and her body was being pulled out of the backpack,
(20:30):
and she was ninety percent out of the backpack. And
they said, and then all of a sudden, you did
some kind of maneuver where you shifted to the left,
and she was no longer falling out of the backpack.
And then when I got pulled ashore by Mike, she
was firmly seated in this backpack. And I said, I
didn't do anything. I had no idea what was happening
with Marl. I didn't even know if she was alive
(20:52):
or still in the backpack. And I said, it took
three of us to shimmy her down in this backpack.
And under those conditions, there is zero chance that it's
possible without the help of our heavenly father and angels,
that she is seated firmly in that backpack when I
get pulled to shore.
Speaker 2 (21:14):
Yeah. In other words, that was a tight fit in
that backpack, and according to Rich, it would be impossible
for her just to slip right back in. It's amazing.
Speaker 3 (21:25):
Yeah, I believe they definitely had angels helping them, and
definitely had earthly angels helping them as well, I mean
for Mike to have that tripod.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
Yeah, incredible. I mean, how often do you just have
something that's nine feet with you? Like he never had
a regular hiking stick, it wouldn't have done anything. And yeah,
I'm a photographer. I go hiking with my nice camera
and I never take a tripod, and if I do,
it's not nine feet long.
Speaker 3 (21:53):
I mean, yeah, that's really long.
Speaker 2 (21:55):
And he got it the day before. I mean, it's
just so amazing that he was able to help rich
in that situation, and that he felt prompted to even
be there. Yeah, that he.
Speaker 3 (22:04):
Stayed when everyone else was trying to get him to
leave and he just said he felt like he needed
to stay for some reason.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:10):
Yeah, it's amazing. Yeah, clearly there.
Speaker 3 (22:12):
Was divine intervention in this story, and there were inspired
people as well who helped this family.
Speaker 2 (22:18):
So amazing people, and there is so much more to
this story. So make sure that you come back in
two weeks so you can hear the rest of the stories.
The Part two is even more incredible than part one,
believe it or not, So make sure you subscribe so
you don't miss that notification.
Speaker 3 (22:34):
And thank you all for joining us today. Until next time,
remember to look for miracles in your own lives. Thank
you for joining us. If you have a miracle to share,
contact us at the Miracle files dot com or find
us on Facebook.
Speaker 2 (22:49):
We're now releasing multiple episodes each month, so subscribe on
your favorite podcast platform and YouTube for amazing video content
as well.
Speaker 3 (22:59):
Join us next time we discover more of God's miracles,
and don't forget to look for His light in your
own lives.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!