Jesse Hutch has spent more than two decades in the acting industry, but his career nearly ended before it even began due to a whitewater accident that left him submerged for at least 11 minutes.
"I should be dead," Hutch told Crosswalk Headlines.
Hutch can be seen in three new projects this month: the new Angel Studios film and accompanying TV series Homestead, and the Great American Family movies Christmas Under the Northern Lights and A Little Women's Christmas.
To this day, though, Hutch considers it a "miracle" that he's even alive.
During his younger years, Hutch was a whitewater raft guide who -- in his words -- lived and worked on the river. But at age 21, his life nearly ended during an accident that stopped both his heart and his breathing. Rescuers estimate he was under water between 11 and 22 minutes.
"Another group down the river found me, dragged me into their raft," he said.
Individuals in that group did their best to resuscitate him. Within minutes, he was taken to the hospital.
"God definitely just was with me," Hutch said.
He remembers being under the water, in the rapids, cognizant that he was on the verge of drowning.
"I heard the water. I heard my heart. The heart stopped. Eventually, I heard the water. Then I heard nothing, and then black," he said. "And after that, [I] have no idea how long or what happened, or where was I?"
He described it as the "scariest time of my life" but also the one with "the most peace."
"As a human being, we hang on to stuff so greatly sometimes. And we're like, 'I can do it. I got it. It's in my power and my strength.' [But] in that scenario, I was done. I had nothing left. … [I] gave into the fact that I'm dead. I'm done. I ain't coming back from this."
God, though, had other plans for Hutch.
"This is an absolute miracle … that I'm even alive, and I'm an actor, and I memorize lines, and I walk and talk. I have three kids. I'm married to my beautiful wife, and I still learn from that lesson daily."
The drowning incident, he said, was a "massive building block" for his faith.
"I had faith before that, but this really pushed me to a point of going, 'Wow, what is the purpose in my life? Why am I here?' Am I really doing what I'm supposed to be doing? And it's not like I had the answer in the moment. … It's been a complete life of just follow the manna, follow the breadcrumbs."
During his acting career, Hutch has found a niche for rom-coms but also for adventure. He even performed stunts.
"I do not want to be just in one genre all the time," he said.
Movies have the power to impact culture for good, he said.
"I remember watching Gladiator, and the scene where he lost his family, and I remember just kind of being in the moment, and then I looked around. Every single person in that theater was into it. And I was like, 'Man … they don't dress the same, and they probably don't drive any of the same cars. And yet, we're all brought together by this one story.'
"I love the idea of being able to bring people together through story. It's kind of like the modern-day campfire."
Photo Credit: ©Great American Family
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.