Moment grandma, 98, saved by Good Samaritan as Kentucky floodwaters nearly swallow homes
As persistent rainfall devastates Kentucky, Good Samaritans and first responders have rushed into homes filling with water in order to save some of the state’s elderly residents.
One man has been hailed a hero after he rescued a 98-year-old grandmother who was trapped inside her home with over four-feet of water flowing around her.
Shocking photos show Mae Amburgey, 98, sitting on her almost submerged bed at her home in Whitesburg, Kentucky. As another local, Randy Polly, was driving to get fuel he came across a ‘hero’ helping Mae and the rest of her family escape their flooded home.
Dramatic video taken by Polly and shared with CNN shows the anonymous man swimming over to the house, banging on the front door and window and entering. After about 30 minutes, he helped bring Amburgey’s family out of their house.
Missy Crovetti, who lives in Illinois, told CNN that the family rescued was her grandmother Mae Amburgey, her uncle Larry Amburgey and her brother Gregory Amburgey. All are now safe, with her grandmother and uncle recovering at a hospital.
Footage taken of another heroic scene shows search and rescue crews airlifting an 83-year-old woman along with four of her family members.
The National Guard in Kentucky has performed nearly 700 air rescues since the flooding began on Wednesday. At least 600 rescues have been conducted by boat, with plenty more imminent as the rain continues to fall at record rates.
Videos of triumphant rescue missions during what officials say is the most destructive flooding in the state’s history offer a glimmer of hope for many as the death toll from the disaster continues to grow.
Governor Andy Beshear shared the total number of accounted for deaths has risen to 35 as of Monday afternoon.
‘More tough news,’ Beshear wrote on Twitter. ‘We have confirmed more fatalities from the Eastern Kentucky floods. Our loss now stands at 35. Pray for these families and for those who are missing.’
Officials expect the death toll to rise even further as hundreds of people remain unaccounted for on Monday.
‘We just don’t have a firm grasp on that. I wish we did – there are a lot of reasons why it’s nearly impossible,’ Beshear said. ‘But I want to make sure we’re not giving either false hope or faulty information.’
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