In the icy waters of the Spanish Fork River, Utah, a chilling mystery unfolded on March 7, 2015, that still haunts those involved. A car lay overturned, partially submerged, its driver, Lynn Groesbeck, tragically deceased. Yet, from within the wreckage, first responders heard a clear female voice pleading, “Help me.” This voice led them to an 18-month-old baby, Lily Groesbeck, miraculously alive after nearly 14 hours in freezing conditions. The mother had been dead for hours, so who—or what—called out? This story, blends raw emotion with unanswered questions, captivating paranormal enthusiasts and skeptics alike.
Key Takeaways
A mysterious female voice guided rescuers to a submerged car in Spanish Fork, Utah, saving baby Lily Groesbeck.
Lynn Groesbeck, Lily’s mother, was deceased, leaving the voice’s origin unexplained.
Officer Tyler Beddoes attributes the event to an angelic presence, while skeptics suggest auditory illusions.
The story, detailed in news and a book, continues to spark debate about the paranormal.
A Tragic Crash in the Spanish Fork River
The incident began in the early hours of March 7, 2015, when Lynn Groesbeck, 25, lost control of her car on a bridge in Spanish Fork, Utah. The vehicle plummeted into the shallow, frigid Spanish Fork River, landing upside down. Lynn, a single mother, died on impact, per ABC News. Her daughter, 18-month-old Lily, remained strapped in her car seat, suspended above the water’s surface but exposed to near-freezing temperatures. The car went unnoticed for nearly 14 hours until a fisherman spotted it around noon and alerted authorities, according to KSL News.
The scene was grim. The river’s icy flow churned around the crumpled red Dodge Caliber. Responders, including police officers Tyler Beddoes, Jared Warner, and Bryan Dewitt, along with firefighters, waded into the shallow water to investigate. The car’s position—upside down, partially submerged—suggested little hope for survivors. Yet, as they approached, something extraordinary happened.
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The Voice That Pierced the Silence
As the team neared the wreckage, multiple responders reported hearing a clear, adult female voice from inside the car. “Help me,” it said, calm but urgent, per FOX 13 News Utah. Officer Beddoes, in a 2016 interview, recalled the moment vividly: “We all heard the same thing—a woman’s voice saying, ‘Help me.’ It wasn’t a question; it was a command.” The voice spurred them into action, assuming an adult survivor was trapped inside.
Bodycam footage, later released and reported by Sky News, captures the responders’ urgency as they worked to lift the car. “We’re trying!” one officer shouted, as if responding to the voice. But when they finally accessed the interior, they found only Lynn, deceased, and Lily, unconscious but breathing. Lynn had been dead for hours, her body cold, ruling her out as the source. The responders were stunned. “We all looked at each other,” Beddoes told ABC News. “There was no one else in that car.”
Lily’s Miraculous Survival
Lily’s survival was nothing short of remarkable. Trapped upside down in her car seat for nearly 14 hours, with temperatures hovering near freezing, the toddler faced hypothermia and oxygen deprivation risks. Yet, when rescuers pulled her from the wreckage, she was alive, though unconscious. Paramedics rushed her to a hospital, where she made a full recovery with no lasting injuries, per TIME. “She’s a fighter,” a doctor told KSL News, noting her survival defied medical expectations.
The rescue itself was grueling. The car’s frame was mangled, requiring responders to physically lift it from the riverbed. The voice, they later said, gave them the urgency to act swiftly. Without it, they might not have reached Lily in time. This detail fuels the paranormal angle, as the voice’s origin remains a mystery.
An Angelic Intervention?
Officer Tyler Beddoes, deeply moved by the experience, became a vocal advocate for a supernatural explanation. In his 2016 book, Proof of Angels, he wrote, “I believe an angel was there, guiding us to save that little girl.” Beddoes, who struggled with personal challenges before the incident, told FOX 13 News Utah that the event restored his faith. He’s not alone—other responders, including Warner and Dewitt, confirmed hearing the voice, though they’ve been less public about their beliefs.
The story gained traction, with media outlets like ABC News and Sky News covering the “miracle” rescue. On X, users like @ghosthunterind recently reignited discussion, posting, “Still gives me chills—how do you explain that voice?” Some locals in Spanish Fork, per KSL News, view the incident as divine intervention, tying it to Utah’s strong religious community. Beddoes even ensured Lily received a portion of his book’s profits, a gesture to support her future.
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Skeptical Perspectives: Was It All in Their Heads?
Not everyone is convinced of a paranormal explanation. Auditory hallucinations, skeptics argue, are common in high-stress situations. Dr. Michael Shermer, a noted skeptic quoted in Unexplained Mysteries, suggests the responders’ brains may have interpreted ambient sounds—rushing water, creaking metal—as a human voice. “The mind fills in gaps,” he said, “especially when you’re desperate to find survivors.” The river’s acoustics, combined with the responders’ fatigue, could have created the illusion.
Another theory points to pareidolia’s auditory cousin, where random noises are perceived as meaningful. The responders, expecting to find survivors, might have misheard environmental sounds. No independent evidence, like audio recordings, confirms the voice, as bodycam microphones captured only the team’s shouts and the river’s roar. Still, the officers’ consistent accounts—each hearing the same words—challenge these explanations.
Cultural and Historical Context
Spanish Fork, a quiet town in Utah’s Mormon heartland, is no stranger to stories of divine intervention. The region’s religious culture, rooted in Latter-day Saint beliefs, often frames unexplained events as spiritual. Similar stories exist globally—like the 1989 case of a Texas mother hearing a voice guide her to her trapped child. These tales resonate because they tap into universal hopes of protection from beyond.
The Spanish Fork incident also reflects a broader fascination with near-death miracles. Media coverage, from ABC News to TIME, amplified the story’s reach, making it a touchstone for paranormal debates. On X, posts like @UtahMysteries’ recent thread highlight its enduring appeal: “Ten years later, we’re still talking about Lily’s rescue. Angel or not, it’s a miracle.”
A Book Born From Mystery: Proof of Angels
The Spanish Fork rescue inspired Officer Tyler Beddoes to pen Proof of Angels in 2016, a book that delves into the haunting experience of hearing an unexplained voice save baby Lily Groesbeck. Beddoes, deeply shaken by the event, told FOX 13 News Utah, “Writing it helped me process what happened—it felt like a miracle.” The book blends his firsthand account with reflections on faith, attributing the voice to an angelic presence. Per KSL News, Beddoes ensured a portion of the profits went to Lily, supporting her future. While some readers embrace the spiritual narrative, skeptics, like those cited in Unexplained Mysteries, argue it leans heavily on belief over evidence. Regardless, the book keeps the mystery alive, fueling discussions on X about divine intervention.
Conclusion: Miracle or Mystery?
The Spanish Fork rescue remains a haunting enigma. Was the voice an angelic guardian, as Beddoes believes, or a trick of the mind under pressure? The facts are clear: Lily survived against odds, guided by a voice no one can explain. Yet, the absence of concrete evidence keeps the debate alive. For now, the story lingers as a testament to human resilience and the mysteries that defy easy answers.
What do you think—divine intervention or natural phenomenon?
Have you experienced divine intervention? Email your experience to Reports@ParaRational.com.
