Written by: Maureen Riordan-Bull
Article source: JOY! Magazine
The second day of a hiking trip in the beautiful mountain range of Groot Wellington, Sneeukop Peak Cave gave thirteen climbers spectacular views of the valleys and crags below. Rain had fallen overnight; the countryside almost glowed with its glory on this day, the 13th of December (1981).
Stopped to admire the flowers
Examining a particularly unusual plant, I turned in my tracks to see that I was alone; most of the hikers were well ahead of me. I had some ‘catching up to do’! So, I took a deep breath and made a determined effort to cover the distance between us…
The moment my life changed
A misstep on the damp grass caused me to have no memory of what actually transpired. I was told that hours had passed before I opened my eyes to pain that was unbearable; with extremely difficult breathing through a punctured lung and broken ribs. I had been covered in several anoraks, but I had the queer sensation that I was broken in many pieces. “Don’t move, Maureen,” my friend Sue said very softly. “The doctor will give you a pain-killer when he gets here from Cape Town”. Tiredness overwhelmed me, and I drifted into a state of comatose sleep.
My heart stopped, twice
About eight days later I was to learn that I had become convulsed with shivers, showing signs of hypothermia and bleeding from head wounds. The doctor who had attended to me at the scene also told me that my heart had stopped beating on two occasions, and that this had concerned him greatly. Due to the nature of my injuries, I could not be given morphine, nor could I be carried down the mountain – the injuries were multiple and serious.
Maureen and the group of friends in 1981, during their hike to Sneeukop
Airlifted in the dark
A Defence Force helicopter from Ysterplaat had been summoned, arriving about ten hours after the accident. Landing it in the rocky terrain proved impossible in the intense darkness. Four hikers shouldered the stretcher in as it hovered about two metres above ground, forcing me to the floor, with a window right under my cheek.
A miracle
While in a comatose period, I had a ‘supernatural experience’ which I later discovered is not unusual among people who are close to death. My doctor, trying to explain my heart failing twice, was at a loss for words, except to say, ‘It was a miracle that you survived…’
My supernatural experience
In my comatose state, I felt unseen hands lifting me towards the sky; the panorama of the scene below me was spectacular, with mountains, valleys, and a stream running by. I became aware of a ‘Presence’ at my right side – a sense of holy waiting. A wondrous sight appeared: ‘a truly towering body’ of what can only be described as a pulsating grey mist, where the only form of darker grey was that of a human being. Could this possibly be a depiction of God Almighty? Not possible! Yet, He was moving His arms in a slow, wide sweep. At that precise moment of awe and bewilderment I ‘felt’ and ‘heard’ the roll of thunder in far distant mountains. A voice like no other was saying: ‘Thy time has not yet come.’ I wanted to stay right there; where there was no pain; it was warm and comfortable, and clearly where God Himself visited. I do believe that God heard my thoughts, for again I heard the words, ‘Thy time has not yet come’.
My life changed forever
Those few words changed my entire life – I became a dedicated follower of my Lord and Almighty God, and today I thank Him once again for saving my life on Sneeukop Peak. God filled that ‘emptiness’ that had pervaded my heart all my life – He filled my heart with joy, contentment, and peace. These are beyond any earthly value and are eternally precious to all who have belief and faith in Him as God Almighty.
Injuries sustained:
Fractured left collarbone, fractured left arm, fractured left shoulder (2 breaks), 3 fractured ribs, punctured lung, hypothermia, severe concussion (coma)
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Date published: 22/09/2022
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