THE SEA LION THAT SAVED MY LIFE w/Kevin Hines

On September 25, 2000, I was compelled to take my life. It wasn’t a decision I took lightly, but it was a decision that felt inevitable at the time. I was 19 years old, struggling with a diagnosed bipolar disorder, and after years of degrading mental health, I felt like I had reached the end of my rope. I walked to the railing of the Golden Gate Bridge, looked down at the water below, and without hesitation, I jumped. My plan was simple: I thought I would end my pain by ending my life...

What happened after I hit the water defied all logic, and to this day, I still struggle to explain it fully. I’ve come to understand it was in fact a true miracle. I didn’t just survive that fall—something extraordinary happened. A sea lion, an animal that didn’t speak my language and didn’t know who I was or why I had fallen into the water, saved my life. It’s a story that continues to defy logic today, but that sea lion’s intervention changed the entire trajectory of my life. And because of that miracle, I went on to be credited with saving over 200,000 lives and counting by sharing my story and advocating for mental health awareness globally.

Today, I want to explore how that sea lion kept me afloat and why its miraculous act led to the work I do today, helping countless people who struggle with their own mental health challenges. Here are the top 5 reasons this miracle occurred, and how it ultimately saved not just my life, but has helped others find hope when they thought they had none.

1. The Sea Lion’s Instinctual Compassion
Animals may not have the complex emotional intelligence that humans do, but they certainly have instincts that can sometimes seem almost human. When I jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, I had already fallen about 220 feet before I hit the water. The impact was brutal, and I was immediately incapacitated. The water was freezing, and I struggled to stay afloat.

That’s when I felt something unexpected—something that I can only describe as a presence beneath me. It was the sea lion, who I would affectionately name Herbert. Without any prior knowledge of me or my pain, the sea lion instinctively came to my aid, nudging me and keeping me above water long enough for help in the form of the US Coast Guard to arrive.

This sea lion wasn’t trained. It didn’t have any prior understanding of what had happened or why it was helping. It simply did what animals are sometimes known to do: It responded to the situation with instinctive compassion. This, in many ways, mirrored what I would later learn about the power of human empathy. Sometimes, even when we don’t fully understand what someone is going through, just being there can make all the difference.

The sea lion’s presence in that moment was a reminder that, even in our darkest hours, there are forces—seen and unseen—that can help us. That animal’s instinctual compassion kept me alive, and in turn, it drove me to live with a sense of compassion and purpose for others.

2. A Moment of Being Held When I Couldn’t Hold On
When I leapt off the bridge, I was filled with one overwhelming emotion: the desperate desire to end the internal war waging in my brain. I thought I would drown quickly and end my pain in one final, swift moment. But I didn’t drown. Instead, I found myself in a life-and-death struggle with the water. The sea lion kept nudging me, keeping me afloat at a time when I didn’t have the strength to keep myself afloat. I had shattered three vertebrae, and missed severing my spinal cord by 2 millimeters.

For those who struggle with suicidal thoughts, it can feel like there’s no one around who understands the depth of the pain. It can feel like you’re completely alone, lost in a sea of your own thoughts. But in that moment, when the sea lion kept me from sinking, I experienced something vital. I felt like I wasn’t alone anymore. Someone—or something—was there for me, holding me up when I couldn’t hold on any longer. This wasn’t just physical assistance; it was an emotional tether. I wasn’t just surviving because of the sea lion—I was living because it showed me that life could still have moments of unexpected care, even in the face of despair. I felt Gods hands in that moment, my faith since that day has never wavered. 

That act of being “held” when I couldn’t hold on to myself is what I try to offer to others who are struggling with their mental health. I didn’t have the strength to hold on, but that sea lion gave me the strength to believe that I could. It’s what I now do in my advocacy, helping people see that they don’t have to be alone in their struggles

3. The Timing of the Sea Lion’s Intervention
The timing of the sea lion’s intervention is one of the most miraculous parts of this story. After jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge, I went into a freefall that lasted just under four seconds. I didn’t even know what was happening to me, and I was already preparing to die. When I hit the water, I never lost consciousness. I was fully aware and that’s when the sea lion appeared.

Why the sea lion was there, at that exact moment, is beyond explanation. It had to be in the right place at the right time, and it had to have the right instincts to act in a life-saving way. This timing is something I’ve come to recognize as part of a bigger picture. When we’re struggling with mental health, it can feel like nothing is going right, and every effort to reach out falls short. But sometimes, God will send us what we need, exactly when we need it.

It was the perfect timing of that sea lion that kept me from sinking into the abyss, and this, more than anything, is what I share with others when I speak. There is hope, even when it feels like everything is too late. Help often comes when you least expect it, and sometimes, it arrives in the most unlikely form.

4. The Sea Lion’s Action Led to My Resilience and Advocacy
The sea lion kept me afloat long enough for rescuers to arrive. The Coast Guard reached me in time, and I was pulled from the waters, saved from certain death. The moment I was pulled from the water was the moment my life began again. I was given a second chance—a chance to heal, grow, and ultimately, become the person I am today. I wasn’t just rescued from the water that day; I was saved from years of self-destructive behavior and thoughts.

I had already diagnosed with bipolar disorder, 2 years prior to the attempt, but something I had struggled with unknowingly for years. But more importantly, I found a deep sense of purpose through sharing my story. The sea lion’s act of saving me created a chain reaction that led me to public speaking, media work, viral videos, and even the documentaries I’ve been a part of, which have touched the lives of billions of people worldwide.

Without the sea lion, I wouldn’t have been alive to share my story. And without sharing my story, I would not have been able to inspire others to seek help and find hope. The miracle that happened in the water on that day continues to ripple outward, transforming lives and creating a cycle of empathy, understanding, and healing.

This is the incredible power of resilience. When you survive, you become a living testament to the idea that recovery is possible, no matter how insurmountable the obstacles may seem. And the sea lion, unknowingly, gave me the resilience I needed to keep going—to take that miracle and pay it forward by being the voice for those who feel voiceless.​

​5. The Power of Unseen Forces and the Miracles in Everyday Life
The intervention of the sea lion is a stark reminder that life is filled with unseen forces—forces that we may never fully understand but that have a profound impact on us. I didn’t understand why I was saved, or why that sea lion came to my aid, but over the years, I’ve come to view it as one of those inexplicable moments where life shows you just how powerful and mysterious it can be.

The truth is, this miracle wasn’t just about the sea lion. It was about the way life has a strange, unpredictable way of showing us what we need, even when we can’t ask for it. There is a force in life that reaches out to us at the most unexpected times, often when we feel the least deserving of it. Whether it’s a stranger, a family member, or even an animal like the sea lion, something always has a way of showing up when we need it most.

For me, my unflinching faith in God saved my life that day through the sea lion, but Herbert the sea lion taught me that, even in our darkest moments, there is hope. It reminds us that miracles aren’t always the big, showy things we expect. Sometimes, they come in small, quiet moments—the nudge of an animal, a gesture from a stranger, a word of encouragement when you’re at your lowest. Those moments matter. They save lives. And I know, from personal experience, that if that sea lion hadn’t kept me afloat that day, I wouldn’t be here to share this with you.

A Legacy of Life-Saving Advocacy
​That sea lion didn’t just save my life on September 25, 2000. It gave me the opportunity to change my life, to grow, and to share my story with the world. It helped me become the person I am today, someone who is driven by the mission of helping others find hope and healing, just as I did. I want everyone reading this to understand that, like me, you too can survive. You too can find hope, even when it feels like all hope is lost. Just as that sea lion kept me afloat, you can find your light to keep you going every single day! Keep Going! #BeHereTomorrow ​∎

Resources from Kevin Hines:
​beacons.ai/kevinhinesstory