But he wasnât dead. He was in a coma.
The 68-year-old Wilkes-Barre man said he witnessed his funeral, eerily seeing himself in a casket dressed in his Knights of Columbus attire he plans to wear for his burial one day. He read his obituary. Then he appeared in a paradise-like place and encountered his beloved cat Pumpkin, who died years ago.
God soon appeared.
âHe took me to the gates and said, âGo. Go home,ââ Kownacki recalled.
After more than a month, Kownacki awoke from the coma in a hospital bed. He didnât remember anything since right before he was rushed to the hospital on March 23, 2020 following a sudden bout with COVID-19.