The mother of a Missouri teen believed to have died in a lake says that God brought her child back from the dead.

John Smith, 14, was playing with two friends on frozen Lake Sainte Louise when they fell through the ice.  While the other two boys were rescued, the initial rescuers couldn’t find Smith.  It took 15 minutes for rescuers to find his body.

Doctors at St. Joseph Hospital performed CPR for almost half an hour without success.  After being clinically dead for 45 minutes, the doctors called Smith’s mother into the room to break the bad news.

Dr. Ken Sutterer said that when Joyce Smith came into the room, she refused to accept that her son was dead and began loudly praying.

“I don’t remember what all I said,” Joyce Smith said. “But I remember, ‘Holy God, please send your Holy Spirit to save my son. I want my son, please save him.’”

Within minutes, hospital personnel were stunned.  John’s pulse returned.  He was rushed to Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center where doctors were concerned that he would have permanent brain damage due to being without oxygen for at least 45 minutes.

Within 48 hours, Smith opened his eyes and responded perfectly to doctor’s questions.

“It’s a bonafide miracle,” said Dr. Jeremy Garrett, who tested Smith’s brain function.