Story from @masonchoate
arkansas.rivals.com
Just more than six months after a life-threatening accident in Pensacola, Florida, former Arkansas great Peyton Hillis opened up about a day that he described as "a miracle that somebody didn't die."
The Conway native sat down for an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday to detail a swimming accident that made him realize what's truly important in life.
While on a trip with family to Pensacola, Hillis said he woke up the morning of Jan. 4 and told his family he was going to take the his nine-year-old son, Orry, and eight-year-old niece, Camille, to the beach to play.
"The night before it was a bad storm," Hillis said. "But, you know, I didn't really pay too much attention to it. When I woke up the next morning, it was windy, but it was beautiful."
There were no beach flags flying in Hillis' sight to signal that the water might be dangerous, but he said he doesn't blame that on anyone. Officials told ABC News that the nearest flag was a mile away, but the absence of a flag doesn't guarantee safety.
"I hear my mom screaming," Hillis said. "So I looked at her and she pointed out to my son and said 'Orry and Camille are drowning.' And so I didn't even think. I just reacted and started running to the water."
The two children had been pulled out by a riptide and Hillis could see them waving their hands and screaming. He said he didn't see any lifeguards, but the county officials told ABC News that lifeguards were patrolling the area. Hillis was forced to decide who to save first as he went out into the water.
"The scariest point was when I was swinging to my son and I have to pass by him because my niece is in more danger," Hillis said. "I knew that I had to pass him up to get to Camille first, because if I didn't, there was no way she would've made it."
When he got to his niece, she was overwhelmed, but Hillis calmed her down and put her and his sister on a boogie board brought by another gentleman helping out. Hillis then turned his attention to his son, Orry.
"I knew that I had to come back for my son," Hillis said. "By the time I got to him, he was pretty much limp. He didn't have anymore strength in him to swim."
Hillis described the process of holding his 130-pound son in more than seven feet of water while waves reaching 10-12 feet continued to splash.
"You're just sitting there," Hillis said. "You cant swim, and you're holding him, you're seeing the eyes role back in his head and you're thinking 'Lord, please. I really don't care about my life. I don't. If I can get him out of here, that's the only thing I'm going to care about.'"
Hillis made it back to shore with his son and he was able to walk him out of the riptide to the beach. His son gained enough energy to walk on his own, but Hillis passed out when he was about 20 or 30 yards from the beach.
First responders performed rescue methods on Hillis and he had to be airlifted to Pensacola Baptist Hospital as he was experiencing lung and kidney failure. He was placed on a ventilator and spent two weeks in the intensive care unit.
"When I was under, I remember I could hear everything perfectly clear," Hillis said. "But they didn't know that I could."
By the 9th or 10th day, people in the room started talking about not knowing what would happen. Hillis said he was "freaking out" as he was under, but he couldn't move. After 10 days, he regained consciousness.
"First thing I remember is my mom, my daughter and my sister standing around me," Hillis said. "To their credit, they all acted like everything was normal, everything was fine, which calmed me down because I felt like everything was okay."
Hillis said he was amazed that he couldn't move when he woke up. The doctors told him he wouldn't reach full recovery for a year, and Hillis said he doesn't think his lungs will ever fully recover.
"Physically, it's coming along okay," Hillis said. "Mentally, things in my head or stuff like that, it's coming along a lot slower. I'm just trying to take it one day at a time."
While the road to recovery for the seven-year NFL veteran is no simple task, Hillis said the accident made him realize what is really important: your loved ones. His actions earned him the stamp of a hero, but Hillis said he's not one.
"I call myself a dad," Hillis said.
Rivals
Just more than six months after a life-threatening accident in Pensacola, Florida, former Arkansas great Peyton Hillis opened up about a day that he described as "a miracle that somebody didn't die."
The Conway native sat down for an interview with ABC's "Good Morning America" on Tuesday to detail a swimming accident that made him realize what's truly important in life.
While on a trip with family to Pensacola, Hillis said he woke up the morning of Jan. 4 and told his family he was going to take the his nine-year-old son, Orry, and eight-year-old niece, Camille, to the beach to play.
"The night before it was a bad storm," Hillis said. "But, you know, I didn't really pay too much attention to it. When I woke up the next morning, it was windy, but it was beautiful."
There were no beach flags flying in Hillis' sight to signal that the water might be dangerous, but he said he doesn't blame that on anyone. Officials told ABC News that the nearest flag was a mile away, but the absence of a flag doesn't guarantee safety.
"I hear my mom screaming," Hillis said. "So I looked at her and she pointed out to my son and said 'Orry and Camille are drowning.' And so I didn't even think. I just reacted and started running to the water."
The two children had been pulled out by a riptide and Hillis could see them waving their hands and screaming. He said he didn't see any lifeguards, but the county officials told ABC News that lifeguards were patrolling the area. Hillis was forced to decide who to save first as he went out into the water.
"The scariest point was when I was swinging to my son and I have to pass by him because my niece is in more danger," Hillis said. "I knew that I had to pass him up to get to Camille first, because if I didn't, there was no way she would've made it."
When he got to his niece, she was overwhelmed, but Hillis calmed her down and put her and his sister on a boogie board brought by another gentleman helping out. Hillis then turned his attention to his son, Orry.
"I knew that I had to come back for my son," Hillis said. "By the time I got to him, he was pretty much limp. He didn't have anymore strength in him to swim."
Hillis described the process of holding his 130-pound son in more than seven feet of water while waves reaching 10-12 feet continued to splash.
"You're just sitting there," Hillis said. "You cant swim, and you're holding him, you're seeing the eyes role back in his head and you're thinking 'Lord, please. I really don't care about my life. I don't. If I can get him out of here, that's the only thing I'm going to care about.'"
Hillis made it back to shore with his son and he was able to walk him out of the riptide to the beach. His son gained enough energy to walk on his own, but Hillis passed out when he was about 20 or 30 yards from the beach.
First responders performed rescue methods on Hillis and he had to be airlifted to Pensacola Baptist Hospital as he was experiencing lung and kidney failure. He was placed on a ventilator and spent two weeks in the intensive care unit.
"When I was under, I remember I could hear everything perfectly clear," Hillis said. "But they didn't know that I could."
By the 9th or 10th day, people in the room started talking about not knowing what would happen. Hillis said he was "freaking out" as he was under, but he couldn't move. After 10 days, he regained consciousness.
"First thing I remember is my mom, my daughter and my sister standing around me," Hillis said. "To their credit, they all acted like everything was normal, everything was fine, which calmed me down because I felt like everything was okay."
Hillis said he was amazed that he couldn't move when he woke up. The doctors told him he wouldn't reach full recovery for a year, and Hillis said he doesn't think his lungs will ever fully recover.
"Physically, it's coming along okay," Hillis said. "Mentally, things in my head or stuff like that, it's coming along a lot slower. I'm just trying to take it one day at a time."
While the road to recovery for the seven-year NFL veteran is no simple task, Hillis said the accident made him realize what is really important: your loved ones. His actions earned him the stamp of a hero, but Hillis said he's not one.
"I call myself a dad," Hillis said.
