Heartstopping moment North Carolina man jumps into surging floodwaters after spotting woman trapped in debris
A North Carolina man heroically jumped into fast flowing floodwaters to save a woman who was trapped in a pile of debris.
Eddie Hunnell was caught on video making the daring rescue after Leslie Worth was swept along the New River when her home was pulled into the water on Friday.
Hunnell was in the area to celebrate his son's wedding when the waters of the river started to rise rapidly.
Footage of the daring rescue shows him launching himself into the strong icy currents of the New River from a row boat.
Carrying a life vest and a rope, he is quickly pulled downstream along with Worth who can be seen in a life vest of her own.
Footage of the daring rescue shows him launching himself into the strong icy currents of the New River from a row boat
Hunnell was in the area to celebrate his son's wedding when the waters of the river started to rise rapidly
As onlookers race down a nearby bank to aid Hunnell, he manages to intercept Worth in the water.
With his hand firmly gripped on the rear of her life vest, he can be seen swimming doggedly back to the bank.
The two can then be seen getting to their feet and sharing a hug as they clamber up the side of the river.
Worth can be seen being greeted with hugs as she pants and tries to catch her breath.
Speaking with WRAL afterwards, Hunnell said: 'When it was happening, I was trying to make the calculated risk of 'how do we save her?'.
He continued: 'I grew up swimming on a swim team. I was a lifeguard, and I'm in okay shape, but I couldn't watch her die. I felt like I needed to do that.'
Hunnell added: 'It didn't hit me until I laid down in bed that night and about had a panic attack, but I didn't see another option.'
Worth and her husband Phil lost all of their belongings when their home slumped into the floodwaters. A GoFundMe has since been launched to help them.
The couple were also later welcomed to the wedding rehearsal dinner as the family's guests.
Following the daring rescue, Worth can be seen being greeted with hugs as she pants and tries to catch her breath as she is welcomed ashore
Worth and her husband Phil, center and left, lost all of their belongings when their home slumped into the floodwaters
Homes and vehicles that were damaged in a flash flood from Hurricane Helene lie on the side of a road near the Swannanoa River in Swannanoa, North Carolina
People clean up in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2024, in Hot Springs, North Carolina
They are among hundreds of families who have been left devastated by Hurricane Helene, which barreled into the southeast of the country last week.
CNN has reported that the storm has killed at least 137 people across the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia, with the death toll expected to rise.
Among the worst-affected areas is the North Carolina city of Asheville, which sits in a valley and which has so-far seen 40 people confirmed dead.
Rescuers are still continuing their efforts to make contact with hundreds of people who are cut off by washed-out roads and downed communication lines.
Images of the destruction caused by the hurricane reveal a wasteland of splintered houses, crushed cargo containers, mud-covered highways, and collapsed communication lines.
Damage estimates ranged from $15billion to more than $100billion, insurers and forecasters said over the weekend, as water systems, communications and critical transportation routes were affected.
Property damage and lost economic output will become clearer as officials assess the destruction.
