Wedding rehearsal turns into a dramatic rescue as woman's house floats away amid Helene
“We were running out of ideas and time,” Hunnell explained. “I was pretty sure the house would eventually collapse, and my biggest fear was it collapsing on Leslie.”
A wedding rehearsal was taking place when attendees noticed a woman trapped inside this home caught by flooding in Grassy Creek, North Carolina, on Sept. 27. One man risked his life to save her.
What was supposed to be a routine wedding rehearsal in Grassy Creek, North Carolina, on Friday, Sept. 27, transformed into an urgent water rescue mission as Hurricane Helene swept through the area. Eddie Hunnell, the groom's father, was in the midst of preparations when he learned that a woman was trapped in her home near the River House Inn.
Responding swiftly, Hunnell requested a life jacket, rope, and an oar from the inn's owner, he later recounted to CNN. As he rushed outside, he encountered Phil Worth, whose wife, Leslie, was unable to escape their inundated house.
Hunnell and Phil grabbed a canoe in a desperate attempt to reach Leslie, but the swift currents thwarted their efforts.
“We were running out of ideas and time,” Hunnell explained. “I was pretty sure the house would eventually collapse, and my biggest fear was it collapsing on Leslie.”
The situation grew even more perilous when debris from another house’s roof, carried by the floodwaters, collided with the Worth residence. Video footage provided by the Hunnell family shows the impact causing Leslie's house to tilt and partially break apart.
“Leslie was standing waist-deep in water when the house started to give way,” Hunnell recalled.
The onlookers began shouting for Leslie to jump to safety.
“I tried to navigate the canoe to her, but the water was too fast and the wind too strong,” Hunnell recounted. “In a moment of desperation, I jumped into the water and swam to her.”
Eddie Hunnell pulls Leslie Worth from the river as her home is swept away. (Image credit: The Hunnell Family)
Reaching Leslie, Hunnell grabbed her life vest and urged her to kick hard towards the shore. The tumultuous waters eventually carried them into calmer currents, allowing them to swim to safety.
As they reached the shore, those waiting burst into tears of relief.
Despite the harrowing ordeal, Hunnell extended an invitation to the Worths to join the wedding rehearsal dinner.
“They came in the clothes they had on. We managed to find some clothes for Leslie and pants for Phil,” he said.
The wedding proceeded the next day with only half the guests and no electricity, illuminated by over 100 candles. Neighbors pitched in, using chainsaws to clear blocked roads.
“Despite the chaos leading up to it, the wedding turned out beautifully,” Hunnell reflected. “Everything before the ceremony was a disaster, but the wedding itself was perfect.”
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