A bus carrying members of a Southern California church youth group overturned Sunday night on a narrow cliffside road in the San Bernardino Mountains, leaving more than two dozen people injured — but many are calling their survival nothing short of a miracle.

According to officials, the bus was transporting 36 teens and adults from Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Santa Ana back home from a weekend retreat when the brakes failed along Highway 330, a winding mountain road south of Running Springs. In a desperate attempt to avoid plunging off the cliff, the driver steered the bus into a boulder. The vehicle rolled onto its side and slid to a stop, sparing all onboard from what could have been a far more tragic outcome.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange confirmed the crash in a statement posted to X (formerly Twitter) Monday, saying, “We invite all in the Diocese of Orange, and all people of goodwill, to join in prayer for healing as a way to cope with this tragic incident. May the Lord bring healing, comfort, and peace to the Our Lady of Guadalupe (Santa Ana) community.” The diocese also thanked first responders for their “quick and professional handling of the accident.”

The San Bernardino County Fire Department reported that 26 passengers sustained injuries, including three with serious injuries. Twenty of the injured were taken to nearby hospitals by ambulance, while the remaining passengers declined medical care. Fire officials said rescuers arrived within minutes of the 9 p.m. dispatch call to find the bus resting on its side, with several passengers climbing out through the roof hatch.

Teen passenger Ariana Rivera described the terrifying moments leading up to the crash in an interview with KTLA. “The bus flipped and then it slid,” she said. “I lost consciousness before I woke up in shock,” Rivera said. The driver shouted a warning before the crash, giving her just enough time to grab her sister and pray.

“I turned to my sister and I grabbed her and then I just prayed to God that everything was going to be OK,” she recalled. Her sister, Brittany, told CBS LA that the experience left her shaken but grateful to be alive. “Life could end in one second,” she said. “God made a miracle.”

Investigators with the California Highway Patrol are examining the cause of the crash, but early reports suggest brake failure was to blame.

In an extraordinary coincidence, the San Bernardino County Fire Department had participated earlier this year in a mass casualty drill that simulated an overturned bus carrying teens and adults — nearly identical to Sunday’s real-life emergency.

Though many are recovering from injuries, the overwhelming message from survivors and the faith community has been one of gratitude and prayer. As one parishioner posted on social media: “God’s hand was on that bus. What could have been tragedy became testimony.”