A routine hockey game in 2022 suddenly became a life-and-death moment for Billy Garaffa — and what followed, he says, transformed his faith forever.
Garaffa collapsed on the ice after his heart went into ventricular fibrillation. Doctors later confirmed he was legally dead for 16 minutes. Yet what he experienced during that time, he says, felt more real than anything he had ever known.
“I never felt like I died,” Garaffa said. “I was standing in the light. I was standing with God. And I felt more alive than I ever had before.”
Garaffa shared his story during an interview on Saturday In America w/Kayleigh McEnany, describing a near-death experience he believes was an encounter with God, the Holy Spirit and Jesus Christ.
A Prayer Before the Collapse
Moments before collapsing, Garaffa said something unusual happened. He prayed with teammates on the ice — something he said he had never done before.
“There was a sense of foreboding,” he explained. “Something told me this was important.”
Shortly afterward, his heart stopped.
Standing in the Light
Though medical professionals declared him dead, Garaffa said his consciousness never faded.
“To me, I never felt like I died,” he said. “That felt more real than this right now.”
He described standing in a radiant light and being fully aware, peaceful and alive — without fear or confusion.
A Message From God
Garaffa said he felt God speaking directly to him, reminding him of what truly matters.
“He asked me what Jesus said was the most important commandment,” Garaffa said. “To love your God with all your mind, all your soul and all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
The message, he said, brought clarity.
“Everything absolutely made sense,” he said. “It made it so simple, but yet we make it so hard sometimes.”
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Led by the Holy Spirit
Garaffa said the experience continued as he felt the Holy Spirit physically guiding him.
“I felt the Holy Spirit on my shoulder just leading me back,” he said.
He described being guided away from the light toward what he called a “bubble” — a boundary between the spiritual realm and the physical world.
The light, he said, was impossible to describe.
“It would be like trying to describe the color blue to a blind man that’s never seen,” Garaffa said.
Seeing His Own Body
As he approached the bubble, Garaffa said he could see his physical body on the ice — though he did not recognize it at first.
“When I recognized it was me, I woke up,” he said.
Where Was Jesus?
After regaining consciousness, Garaffa said he had one lingering question.
“I asked, ‘Where was Jesus?’” he recalled.
Though he said he had clearly perceived God and the Holy Spirit, he wanted to understand Jesus’ role in what had happened.
A Vision That Answered Everything
Garaffa said that answer came later, during prayer.
“God really brought me back to that moment,” he said.
In a vision, Garaffa said he saw Jesus inside the bubble, kneeling and standing near his body while medical professionals worked to save his life.
“I saw Jesus in the bubble, standing and kneeling around my body,” he said. “Guiding all the people doing the right things to bring me back to life.”
He said Jesus was directing those performing CPR and using the AED.
“He was there,” Garaffa said. “He came through that bubble and was next to me to save my life.”
The Power of One Name
Garaffa credited prayer — especially his wife’s — with playing a critical role in his survival.
“All my wife could pray at that moment was the name Jesus,” he said.
His conclusion is unwavering.
“Without Jesus, I wouldn’t be here today,” Garaffa said.
A Faith Without Doubt
Asked whether the experience left him with any uncertainty about his faith, Garaffa was emphatic.
“Without a doubt I know that He is,” he said. “Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior.”
His story stands as a powerful reminder to many who have heard it: even in moments of apparent death, faith, hope and life can be more alive than ever.
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
