- We just saw, it's not that far,

let's just go swim over there.

- [Narrator] It was a perfect beach day

on Florida's east coast.

Tyler Smith and Heather Brownwere enjoying senior skip day

with their classmates fromChrist's Church Academy.

Before long, they decided to swim across

the Saint Augustine inlet

at Vilano Point, AnastasiaIsland, 500 yards away.

- We just kinda keepgoing past the sandbar,

just kinda keep getting deeper.

- [Narrator] As athletes,the two 17 year olds

were fairly good swimmers,

but barely half way across,they started getting tired.

- It was a lot further than we thought,

but we saw a red buoy and wewere like, let's swim to that,

we'll grab on to it,we'll rest for a minute,

then we'll just keep going.

- [Narrator] Despite their efforts,

they weren't gettingany closer to the buoy.

- It just keep getting furtherand further to the right,

but then it's like, you realize, no,

you're moving furtherand further to the left.

- [Narrator] They had gottencaught in the outgoing tide.

- My heart was beating faster

after I stopped seeing the red buoy.

There was nothing left,all we see is ocean.

- [Narrator] Tyler andHeather stop swimming

and started treading water,doing their best to stay afloat

as the current continuedto carry them out to sea.

- That's when I waspretty actually scared,

and he was just like, "HeatherI don't know what to do."

I was like, "Tyler, what's the plan?"

We were like, just keep swimming,

as long as you just keep yourself afloat,

we can hold out till rescue.

- [Narrator] Back on the beach,

their friends finallynotice the two were missing,

unaware of their attemptto swim across the inlet.

Someone called 911 andalerted their parents.

Heather's mother BJ washelping at her church

when she got the call.

- It's your worstnightmare of a phone call

that you would ever want to have.

He said, "BJ, Heatherand Tyler are missing."

You know, nobody knew,

and so, the tears startforming, I just start balling.

It was a deep panic thatmy child has drowned.

- [Narrator] BJ and othersat the church started to pray

for the missing teenagers.

- I want her alive Lord,please don't take her from me.

Keep her floating, givethem both the strength.

When there's nothing youcan do, you have to pray.

- [Narrator] By now, Heather and Tyler

had been fighting the roughseas an hour and a half

and praying desperately for a miracle.

- I was screaming, "God, please help."

I was saying please over and over again.

- God, please just save us.

Can you please just send something for us?

I really thought that was gonnabe the last day of my life.

- [Narrator] Then,exhausted and loosing hope,

they heard a boat engine over the waves.

- All I see is this big yacht

just coming down along the island

where all the other boatsare going and I was like,

there's no way it's coming towards us.

But, it made even like asharper turn towards us.

- [Narrator] The boat however,wasn't coming for them.

The owner, Eric Wagnerand his three man crew

were headed up the coast

when they made a last minute decision

to take the 53 foot yachtfor a run in the open ocean.

- The wind was strong, a lotof waves, the engines are loud.

We have to talk loudly tohear each other on the boat,

let alone somebody that's off the boat.

- [Narrator] As the boatpassed by about 200 yards away,

the teens realized no one had seen them.

- So I was just likewaving at it screaming.

This to me was our last chance.

If we don't get on this boat,

we're not getting out of here alive.

- We thought we heard a scream,

we thought we heard something

and we all stoppedtalking and looked around.

Corey was behind the wheel at the time,

so he starts cranking the wheel over

and he says, "There's people back there."

- [Narrator] Heather and Tyler watched

as the boat came around.

- And then all of asudden, I see someone wave,

I was like, "Yes, yes."

- All we'd do is hug each other,

we were like, "We're getting out of this."

Looking back at it,God saved us from this.

- [Narrator] By the time they pulled

the exhausted teenagers aboard,

they had drifted 2 miles off the coast.

- Heather came on first.

The very first thing she said to me is,

she looked me in the eyeand she said, "God is real."

- Mr. Eric heard me and he was like,

"It's crazy how you say that

"'cause you want to knowthe name of our boat?"

"It's called the Amen."

- We just broke down crying.

We were like, "No way, thisis straight out of a movie,

"there's no way he did this."

- [Narrator] Then Heather'smom got another call,

this time it was her daughter.

- I'm so glad to hear your voice,

I'm so grateful, oh my God, thank you God.

It was just such acelebration right there.

- [Narrator] Tyler andHeather went on to graduate

and look forward to moving on to college

and their future goals.

No matter where they go,

they know they serve a God who loves them

and answers their prayers.

- It really has brought me closer

to talking to him like a friend,

and it's miraculous.

- It grows your relationship with God

and relieves you of doubt,and it builds a bond.

When you are truly readyto come to him hopeless,

he's gonna rescue you.