>> He’s long been a man of faith but now he believes his life is an example for others
and here’s why he was
lifeless for 12 minutes or more
after saving the
family pet.
>> The local church pastor and
Florida Air National Guard
fighter pilot was nearly
electrocuted and stuck under
water in his own backyard.
But tonight because of some
mysterious twists of fate, he’s
a living breathing miracle man.
>> I don’t really remember much
of what happened
that morning.
>> What happened in this
Mandarin backyard on October
25th is something Jonathan
Kasten bombs family will never
forget. I heard.
>> The words, 91 Daddy and dad
I was just. Asking God why and.
Cried and prayed and prayed and prayed and we’re just in a circle until the cop came up.
I just kept thinking like got
this don’t please don’t take my
husband for me.
>> This is a normal day.
>> But it wasn’t.
Jonathan cast a bomb is a pastor at the crossings church and
fruit Cove. Here he is
preaching less than 6 weeks
after he was nearly
electrocuted and drowned in his
own backyard pool.
This commander for the Florida
Air National Guard has risked
his life flying fighter jets
for the Navy and the guard.
But nothing could have prepared
him for this.
>> I’ve pretty much done most
of the stuff in our house he
and his wife Melissa think a
branch came loose and severed a
grounding wire for the pool
went in through the pool wires
which were.
>> Went through GSCI Jesse I
didn’t trip.
>> Breaker didn’t rip. It
basically when the pool.
>> And here’s where the family
dog Phoenix comes in she had
jumped in to play in the water
but immediately started making
a lot of noise apparently
getting shocked over and over
but I went down the stairs
right here into the pool.
>> And grabbed the dog out.
The contractor said I kind of
threw the dog out.
I don’t know if that point I
started to feel the shock of
the water.
>> Shock because apparently the
pool water
was electrified.
>> When I turned around to get
out I grabbed on the handrail
right here and I became the
ground. This is only part that
I do remember which is my.
My daughter came out.
She came out the door.
I just said help me.
so that’s to help me turn off the breaker. >> 12 year old Juliette was
able to get a work crew to help
just happened to be there 2
hours early working on an
unrelated wall repair.
>> And the workers get no one
to go. And
they went they went straight to
the second breaker which was
like amazing. And so they said
flipping on the switch isn’t.
I was just going crazy and so I
slapped him.
He says it would happen cast a
bomb had been under water a
long time before workers cut
all power.
>> And get him out of the pool
solace bright purple I just
couldn’t see it.
>> The workers didn’t speak
English and didn’t know CPR but
they did their best to kill a
police officer made it there
will be did CPR for 7 minutes.
And this whole time like.
>> I had no heartbeat
>> How is it that you’re here
today telling us that he and.
♪
♪
God saw fit to you’re out. Yes when rescue arrived. The second they defend me and I
hearken back just
that fast.
>> All the while his wife
Melissa was leaving the gym
with daughter Kiley and some
friends when she got the call
from Julie, a and now Mike
what’s wrong and just like.
I need to I need you to come
home, there’s been an accident.
>> That he was in the pool and
he got electrocuted then.
She was she was telling me to
stay calm and drive safely
which just looks like what.
>> You know the part that I
remember was asking.
You know as your dad dead or
alive and I cannot get any
answer she.
>> Got out of the car and she
was bawling and I was bawling
like I told him not to go over
there because Ray. She loves a
I push her.
>> And is he on start to scream from that here and. It was so loud and.
That made me really upset.
And she is said no oh God, no. >> Cas a bomb was breathing on his own
but rushed to the hospital and
placed in a medically induced.
Not. Today’s and countless
prayers later.
>> And out of the corner of my
eyes, I see him wink
at Juliet and I said to the
weekend Juliet any bear barely
not just had my son can you do
it again any winked at
her again.
>> Just days after a brush with
death that nearly left his wife
and daughters grieving and on
their own Jonathan Kestenbaum
was back home
under the Oaks with this close
knit family and finding a
message of faith in it all.
>> And God saw fit to.
Is mean our family our
story to to just are
say produced and I got in
charge of all the stuff I
control these things.
There’s no that there’s no
other explanation for it.
>> I mean truly how do you
explain it how is he alive.
Just this evening, Melissa
kassab on Johnson’s wife told
me. The police officer who did
CPR told them tonight.
Now is more like 16 minutes
between the call to
911 and the jolt from the a e D
the got his heart beating again
16 minutes without breathing or
a heart beat.
I think short of a miracle I
mean he’s still waiting to find
out whether he’ll be cleared to
fly but in the meantime there’s
plenty work on the ground to do
as a commander there
with the guard and as you saw
my story he has cleared a
hurdle at church by getting
back on stage and brie and
preaching and he
was really worried about that
at first little what a story to
be able to tell that story of
faith are trying to explain.
>> Just what he said there
about hey get
God must have had you know
some purpose and that was so
we’re watching the video there
Mary and this whole family at
one point they’re just they’re
holding back the tears all or
not holding back the tears.
>> Right right right right
there they’re amazing. They
a lot of people have
backyard pool so the family I
had to ask them, you know are
you a little leery about the
pool and they certainly are I’m
even though they know it’s safe
now that they brought in a crew
to make sure that the pool
safely grounded. A friend by
the way was breakwater
construction is planned to
replace those metal handrails
there
with polymer yes and no worries
there and they’re also very
grateful for the overwhelming
show of support
from friends from members of
their congregation at the
crossings and perfect strangers
who even from around the state
are are beyond you have heard
about his story
also deeply moved by what they
feel is a miracle story of
faith and survival truly come
I’ve still we’re all still
baffled isn’t a miracle and
he’s he
has no brain loss, they can’t
they can’t detect out at me for
having that long as perhaps