Actor Jesse Hutch is most known for his TV and acting career, but the devout Christian is also an outspoken man of faith who experienced a near-death experience that changed absolutely everything.
WANT MORE MIRACLE STORIES? STREAM CBN’S NEW FILM, “INVESTIGATING THE SUPERNATURAL: MIRACLES”
Long before he ever considered acting, the “Homestead” star was a whitewater rafting guide while attending college. Hutch said he was a wilderness fan at the time, enjoying all things outdoors — so living that out on the job was a fun-filled experience.
“[Acting] was never on my radar,” Hutch said. “Never in my history of growing up was I ever like, ‘I’m going to be an actor.’ Now, that being said, the one caveat is: I did love movies. I always watched movies. I went to the theater. I collected the movie posters. I loved it.”
One day, while working on a river, things took a turn he could have never expected. It was a beautiful and sunny day, but Hutch said the “water level was at a pretty high peak.”
“This particular rapid … was kicking … and there’s three standing waves,” he recalled, noting he was helping lead others on the water at the time.
Watch Hutch share his near-death experience:
With the choppiness of the waterway, Hutch’s boat went upside down, and he was plunged underwater in an area called the “green room” — a place where you’re deep enough to be in a current but where the sunlight is making the water appear green.
“All of a sudden, I just feel this pressure on my body,” he said. “I’m like, ‘Wow, I went down pretty fast.'”
Hutch wasn’t panicking, but he knew he needed to swim out. However, the pressure made it impossible. He was forced to make some tough decisions, including going limp to try and relax his muscles and maximize the oxygen he had left.
“I’m quite logical about it,” Hutch said. “I’m not panicked yet, but I know that I’m running out of oxygen and I can feel that.”
That’s when he realized the situation was “not good.” Unable to hold off any longer, his body naturally tried to breathe in and water began pouring into his lungs.
“It feels like someone pours liquid concrete,” Hutch said. “It’s heavy. It goes in. It felt like every part of my body, like where water doesn’t even go went, and it felt like it was in my arms. It felt like my muscles went dead.”
Realizing his life would very likely end, the actor began to recognize he might be “done,” calling it one of the “scariest moments” of his life.
“I knew in my brain I was finished,” Hutch said. “And, immediately after that, I had 100% peace because I ended up in this position where I was like, ‘OK, I’m in your hands, God … I completely surrender.'”
Ironically, despite the pain, chaos, and uncertainty, Hutch said he felt total peace.
“That was the most peace that I ever felt,” he said.
Listen to the latest episode of “Quick Start” 👇
After Hutch blacked out, he ended up floating down the river and was discovered by a team of people. But, before that, he was likely underwater somewhere between 11 to 22 minutes — the most shocking detail of his story.
By all standards, he should be dead, but he survived.
“For your brain, generally three minutes without oxygen puts you in a position of probably death,” he said. “You’re a vegetable, like you can’t talk, you’re not walking, everything’s done.”
His recovery, which should have been impossible, was swift and quick, something he believes is miraculous — but the wonders didn’t end there.
“Also, a miracle that my eardrums aren’t completely done and I can breathe,” he said, noting he has minimal long-term impact from the near-death experience.
Hutch was already a Christian when the accident unfolded, but he said it continues to teach him new lessons, particularly about God and control.
“It gave me a whole new perspective on what it means to let go,” he said. “And I’m still learning from that experience, to be honest. I still have times where I … believe it or not, still find myself trying to get control and be in charge.”
Hutch continued, “And when I went through that drowning experience and drowned to death, God literally taught me a lesson that said, ‘You control none of this.'”
After the accident, Hutch had a sudden thirst from God to go into entertainment, a professional endeavor he had never before considered. And the rest is, well, history.
Watch the video above for more of Hutch’s reflections on his stunning survival. Want more miracles like this? Stream “Investigating the Supernatural: Miracles,” a new documentary from CBN about powerful medical miracles. We’ll leave you with the trailer:
As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up for Faithwire’s daily newsletter and download the CBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.