“We Are Gonna Die”: Former NFL Star Peyton Hillis Recounts Nervous Moments Where He Faced the Brutal Reality Called Death

Life often presents us with unexpected challenges, and it is during these intense moments that we truly understand the value of courage and selflessness. The NFL has witnessed many such stories in recent times, but perhaps, none of them are more intense than the heroic story of the man who stared death in the eyes and survived to tell the tale. That is the story of former NFL Star Peyton  Hillis. 

Hillis was caught in the midst of a deadly life-or-death situation, which would help the football star write a legend for years to come. Over the span of a seven year career in the NFL, he would suit up for the Denver Broncos, Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Giants, before retiring in 2015. Hillis recently recounted his side of the true story, which saw him face to face with the possibility of the death of his children, and even his own death. Let’s take a look at the incredible story of Peyton Hillis. 

Peyton Hillis recalls unnerving moments during life or death disaster 

Hillis and his family were out on vacation in the Gulf of Mexico in January when Hillis found himself in a heart-pounding race against time after a swimming accident involving his son and niece near the Gulf of Mexico. The group would get caught in the middle of ‘Rip Currents’, which are strong, powerful and channelled currents. But in a heroic moment, Willis would step up and swim through the currents to save his niece and his son. Here’s Hillis talking about the rescue:

“I got to Camille, and she starts freaking out, ‘you know, you know we’re gonna die, we’re gonna die’. I go honey you’re not gonna die, you know that’s not going to happen,” Said Hillis recounting the harrowing experience. 

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Hillis told the harrowing tale of having to swim past his son to rescue his niece, who was in more peril. The former NFL star would eventually circle back to his son, arriving just in time to save the boy from drowning. 

“By the time I got to him he was pretty much limp. He didn’t have any more strength in him to swim and I’m sitting there holding him… you’re seeing his eyes rolled back in the back of his head.”

Thankfully everyone involved would end up safe owing to, in large parts, the heroic rescue by Hillis, who staked his own life to protect the kids. The story was initially buried under the tragic accident which saw Damar Hamlin collapse on the field on live television. While Hamlin would eventually make it out alive, after coming out victorious from a life-or-death struggle, the heroic story of Hillis would fly under the radar. 

The unfinished battle after the rescue for Hillis

While Hillis heroically saved both the kids, the battle was not yet over for Peyton Hillis. He would collapse onto the beach, moments after emerging from the water after rescuing his son. The critical situation would be brought upon by lung and kidney failure, due to the effects of the rescue. Hillis would be airlifted from the beach by emergency services and taken to a nearby hospital. 

He was placed on a ventilator upon arriving at Pensacola’s Baptist Hospital. Nearly 10 days later, the former football star would regain consciousness and would continue his recovery in the ICU over the next two weeks. Today, over 5 months after the incident, Hillis is still recovering from the physical and mental effects of the traumatic accident. 

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