Man Who 'Died 17 Times In 13 Minutes' Shares What He Saw In Heaven

When most people say they’ve had a near-death experience, it usually means they came close to danger or survived a serious health scare. But for one man, that phrase doesn’t even begin to cover what actually happened to him.

John Williams, a 39-year-old man from the UK — not to be confused with the famous Star Wars composer — went through something so extraordinary that even doctors struggled to make sense of it.

In November 2004, John and his partner took a trip to the seaside town of Whitby to celebrate her 40th birthday. What was supposed to be a simple, joyful getaway ended up becoming the most life-changing night of his life.

Speaking to Metro, John said the evening began normally, with a warm meal at a local pub, a few laughs, and the crisp winter air outside making it feel extra cozy.

But halfway through dinner, things took a sudden turn. He started feeling hot, dizzy, and short of breath, and within moments, he collapsed. The next thing he remembered was the flashing blue lights of an ambulance as paramedics rushed him to the hospital — he was suffering from a major heart attack.

When he finally regained consciousness hours later, he was surrounded by doctors, tubes, and beeping machines, barely realizing how close he had come to dying.

John’s terrifying ordeal began with a sudden heart attack Getty Stock Image/Luis Alvarez

One of the consultants leaned over and said bluntly: "You've been lucky."

Tracing a line across his palm, the doctor explained the reality of his situation: "With heart attacks, you either live or you die. There's no in between."

Doctors confirmed that John had suffered a severe myocardial infarction — the medical term for a heart attack caused by a blockage that stops blood from reaching the heart muscle. It’s a condition that can quickly turn fatal if not treated immediately.

But that terrifying event was just the beginning of John’s journey.

Almost a year later, he was scheduled for a triple heart bypass at a private hospital in Leeds — a major operation that would require his heart to be temporarily stopped during surgery.

Despite the obvious risks, John said he didn’t feel scared. In fact, he was surprisingly calm in the hours leading up to the procedure, almost as if he sensed something beyond his control was about to happen.

He told Metro: "You'd have thought I would have been anxious, considering doctors were about to slice me open, break my ribs, and stop my heart, but this calmness just washed over me like something I'd never felt before."

That’s when things started to feel strange. As he lay waiting for the surgery to begin, he suddenly became aware of a presence — his late father and grandfather — as if they were right there beside him.

He needed a triple heart bypass Getty Stock Image/Bevan Goldswain

"I knew they weren't physically there, but I could sense them with me. It was almost as if they had come to wish me luck," the 39-year-old recalled.

He said that during the operation, he saw them again — but this time, it felt different. He believed he had crossed over and was seeing them in what he could only describe as heaven.

"We were in the same room together, and I remember saying to them, 'I'll see you soon, I can't wait to see you both, it's been such a long time'," he remembered saying, describing the moment as one of pure peace and love.

John said his grandfather’s response was warm and comforting: "You've grown up since I last saw you. We'll see you very soon."

But when his father spoke, his message was firm and filled with purpose: "You've got two young daughters at home... Not just yet."

When John finally woke up, he assumed the surgery had just ended. In reality, he was emerging from an induced coma — several days had passed since the operation.

John says his late father told him it wasn’t his time yet Maki Nakamura/Getty Images

Unbeknownst to him, while doctors were performing the procedure, his heart went into arrhythmia — a dangerous condition where the heart beats irregularly due to electrical disturbances. It can cause the heart to beat too fast, too slow, or stop altogether.

During those critical minutes, John’s heart stopped 17 times within just 13 minutes, forcing doctors to shock him repeatedly with a defibrillator to bring him back each time.

When he looked down later, he noticed two rectangular burn marks across his chest — a permanent reminder of how many times he’d technically died and been revived.

"I still can't fully explain what happened or when it happened," John said softly, before adding: "All I know is that it felt so real, but at the same time, otherworldly. I have never felt such calmness since."

Though years have passed since that day, he still remembers every detail vividly. The calmness, the voices, and the overwhelming sense of love he felt have stayed with him, shaping how he views life and death ever since.