So you think the “power of a gadol” is that he can look at a list of names and see whose time has run out?
Nope, they are human just like you or I. They have ammassed insane amounts of Torah knowledge and can apply it to their halachic rulings but there is no crystal ball that allows them to see the future.
Could just be that the Gadol was familiar with the situation vis a vi the persons family coming to him and sharing details which might not have been know to your friend who gave you the request.
#rationalistsmackdown