Hurricane Helene: One Man’s Efforts to Save His Neighbor
Hurricane Helene caused torrential floods and mudslides in Western North Carolina—devastating the entire region in late September. On Saturday, September 27, one North Carolina resident—Ken Fisher—rescued his neighbor and lifelong friend who had been caught up in a landslide and then trapped in a storm drain. Ken shares the terrifying events of that day, and how God is with us in the worst situations, on this episode of GPS: God. People. Stories. Connect with us through email at [email protected] or on Facebook at Billy Graham Radio.
the best way I know to describe it was
it it looked like a war zone it was just
that bad Ken Fischer is describing the
destruction caused by Hurricane Helen in
Western North Carolina he lives in
lynville Falls North Carolina with his
wife Patty around 10:30 that morning
there was someone beating on our door
and it was our neighbor she was just
hysterical she was in tears couldn’t
hardly understand her but uh to inform
me that they had a landslide at their
home and that it had uh Taken part of
their house off and that her husband was
somewhere underneath that or somewhere
in the debris you’ll hear more of Ken’s
story of unshakable Faith and Hope on
this episode of GPS God people stories
it’s an Outreach Of The Billy Graham
Evangelistic Association I’m Phil
fleshman
also on this episode you’ll hear from
the Billy Graham rapid response team its
chaplain are on the ground in Western
North Carolina ministering to those
who’ve lost so much our chaplain are
crosses management train chaplain we
come to bring hope and peace through
Jesus and show them that Jesus loves
them and we’re praying for people we’re
talking to people if at any point during
this episode of GPS you’d like to talk
with someone about God’s love for you
call our 24-hour Billy gram prayer line
the number is
855255
7729 that’s
855255 pray and if you would like to
learn more about the work of the Billy
Graham rapid response team in the
aftermath of hurricanes Helen and Milton
check out the show notes we’ve got some
links there you can follow
GPS God people stories
before hurricane Helen ever made its way
into North Carolina another storm had
already dumped several inches of heavy
rain in the western part of the state so
Ken fiser and his wife Patty went to bed
concerned about the looming hurricane
and the additional rain it would bring I
was awaken around probably 3:30 a.m. in
the morning by the storm and it sounded
horrible we were scared as the wind
howled they heard trees snap in and
falling in their backyard but under the
darkness of night they couldn’t see the
magnitude of the destruction that had
begun all knew to do at that point was
to pray uh ask the Lord for his
protection on on us and our family Ken
was concerned about his 90-year-old
father who lives alone and about his son
daughter-in-law and little granddaughter
who Liv just 20 miles away I guess
prayed the most I’ve prayed probably in
a long time just trying to get peace
after Daybreak Ken and Patty looked out
their Windows to see downed trees power
lines debris everywhere and the rain was
still falling the best way I know to
describe it was it looked like a war
zone it was just that bad we had lost
all sale service we had no connection to
the outside world we were just
completely cut off so they pulled out an
old weather radio they’ had had for
years Patty found some batteries for it
and when they turned the dial it
crackled to life they were listening to
weather updates out of Asheville until a
neighbor came running to them for help
around 10:30 that morning there was
someone beating on our door and it was
our neighbor she was just hysterical she
was in tears couldn’t hardly understand
her but uh she informed me that they had
a landslide at their home and that it
had uh taken part of their house off and
that her husband was somewhere
underneath that or somewhere in the
debris that neighbor Loren Carver wasn’t
sure if her husband David was still
alive all she did know was that he had
been washed away with part of their
house I uh informed her that I would go
and I would find him and I just jerked
on uh my boots and got my jacket and
took off down to her house
after crawling underneath and climbing
over top of fallen tree after fallen
tree Ken finally found his neighbor’s
home ripped apart but David was nowhere
in sight from what I understand they
were outside working trying to divert
the water from behind their house that
was coming off of the the mountain
behind them she had just stepped inside
to get something and within 2 minutes
Loren heard a loud boom and and David
called her name then silence he never
replied when she called out to him when
Ken arrived he tried calling David’s
name repeatedly hoping for a different
outcome finally he he hollered back so I
was able to uh determine the area that
he was in underneath the roof of his
home and all the debris I just started
working immediately trying to dig into
him and remove the debris and it was
just horrific all Ken had to use at
first was an old wooden handled garden
shovel he worked feverishly to get to
David through what Ken called an
overwhelming amount of trees metal rebar
debris and mud I was determined I knew
that I had to be able to see him and so
U I was able to get enough debris off to
where I could see that he was located in
a storm drain at the bottom of their
yard
inside that storm drain a tree had
pinned David from the waist down he
couldn’t move I told him that that that
I was there and that I was going to get
him out he was concerned that he
wouldn’t be able to get out of it he was
afraid that he would probably die there
as Ken worked to ease David’s fears he
also had to work to be able to look him
in the eye David’s face was covered with
mud and hidden from Ken all he could see
of him was his head
and upper torso there was so much mud I
said Dave I’m going to catch some water
and I’m going to pour on your face if
you can take your hand and try to clean
your face off so you can get your eyes
open so finally with some of that mud
washed away Ken could look David in the
eye and encourage him David immediately
asked about his wife Loren and he asked
that she come to where they were he was
concerned that he wasn’t going to live
and he said I need to talk to her and he
did
they brought Loren to David Ken stayed
with her to comfort her while she and
David talked David told her he loved her
more than anything in the world and he
asked her to tell their kids and
grandkids that he loved them then he
asked Ken to pray for him huddled
together Loren reached down through the
drain to grab David’s arm and put her
other hand in Ken’s and we prayed and uh
I asked the Lord to deliver him from
that place and to get him out of there
it was a holy moment Ken says you could
feel God’s presence in the midst of the
mud the Fallen trees and the fear for
the next several hours Ken and several
neighbors worked on removing debris from
around David and on clearing the road so
emergency Personnel could get through no
longer just using an old garden shovel
though they now had a neighbor’s tractor
and Chainsaw to help I was uh had a lot
of anxiety because I was limited to what
I could do and I felt like time was
important I felt like we needed to get
him out as soon as possible for him to
have any chance to survive but at the
same time I can assure you I was praying
constantly for the Lord to spare him and
to to help him there was one spot one
spot they found where Ken’s wife Patty
was able to get enough of a cell phone
signal to call 911 they tried multiple
times before finally getting through
about half an hour after Loren first ran
to them for help but it would be nearly
5 hours before emergency Personnel could
get to them all the while the rain never
stopped that was another thing that a
concern there was water coming in on him
so we had to get that water diverted and
uh turned away to keep it from from
drowning him as the hours went on
David’s breathing grew shy Al he kept
going in and out of Consciousness from
the pain still he hung on after the
rescue Personnel arrived they worked
probably a good four and a half to 5
hours removing him one of those rescue
personel crawled up through the drain
line below the road to wrap a coat
around David and to share some of their
body heat with him they had to crawl 30
or 40 feet through the drain to get to
David but he was soaking wet and they
wanted to keep him from going into shock
everyone there just worked and done
everything they could to try to make it
uh as easy for him as we could and as
comfortable David spent nearly 11 hours
in the drain before Rescuers were
finally able to free him and transport
him to the hospital Friday night Medics
had wanted to fly him out in a
helicopter but conditions just wouldn’t
allow it so he was taken by ambulance to
the hospital because there was no cell
phone service Ken didn’t hear about
David’s condition until the following
evening when Loren was returning home
she said Ken have you heard about David
and I said no laurine I haven’t I said
how is he and she said uh he’s in heaven
now filled with emotion Loren hugged Ken
and she shared her appreciation for all
he did to try to save her husband I was
devastated because I felt like that you
know know that I didn’t know really how
bad his condition was but I didn’t know
if he would able you know ever walk
again but I felt like after surviving
for that period of time and having the
care he needed then I felt like that he
would be okay maybe that was my my
hoping but God had a different plan
God’s plan was uh fulfilled it’s amazing
that he lived through the Landslide but
I believe the Lord allowed that so he
could see his family again and talk with
them his wife God was in control of the
situation even when it was bad God was
still in control in the midst of their
grief David’s family is clinging to God
during this time they’re a family of
strong faith he has two children a son
and a daughter and uh his son is a
preacher in fact the same day that David
was fighting for his life his son and
daughter-in-law lost their home and had
to be rescued from the flood waters
still that son testified to God’s
goodness on social media he did what his
dad had done before him pointed people
to Jesus Christ he spent his life
serving the lord and providing for his
family he was a wonderful man a
wonderful husband a great father and a
good friend everyone that knew him loved
him he he was just that kind of person
like I say he he sang in a quartet had a
beautiful voice Ken and David’s Roots
ran deep as both neighbors and friends
his dad’s was my pastor for over 20
years even before that before his dad
pastored our church he pastored a church
across the road from where I lived
growing up they were just like family to
me growing up Ken would get off the bus
and play ball with David after school
they were neighbors as kids and then as
adults I lost both a brother and a best
friend our community will never be the
same without him he will be greatly
missed by by everyone that knew him Ken
is forever thankful that at one point
during the 11-hour ordeal he and David
were able to share what would turn out
to be their final goodbyes Ken said to
his lifelong friend I love you David and
I’m praying for you David replied saying
I love you too Ken thank you for all
you’ve done David Carver was just 58
years old when he died but his legacy as
a follower of Jesus Christ remains
strong there’s a reason for all things
even though we don’t know God sees the
end from the beginning we don’t have
that capability but God knows he’s in
control and he has a plan and a purpose
Canon Patty’s home suffered only minor
damage but David’s death and the
devastation that Ken sees all throughout
his community have served as Stark
reminders of what’s most important in
life we spend our lives working to have
things and to try to provide for our
families but the fact is those could be
gone in an instant just like what we’ve
seen when the only thing that’s sure and
the only thing
that we have that we know is solid is
our relationship with Jesus and that’s
what matters more than anything else is
to know that you have that personal
relationship with Jesus
[Music]
Christ that is a powerful reminder from
Ken Fischer about the peace and hope
that comes only through a relationship
with Jesus Christ we can tell you more
about beginning a relationship with
Jesus right now at our website find
peacewithgod.net
that’s find peacewithgod.net
or if you’d rather talk with someone you
can call our 24-hour Billy Graham prayer
line the number is
855255
7729 that’s 8
55255 pray in just a moment you’re going
to hear from a Billy Graham rapid
response team chaplain talking about
that ministry’s work in Western North
Carolina you’re listening to GPS God
people stories a podcast production of
the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association there are storms in the
world today there are storms in your own
life Billy Graham storms of Temptation
confusion and difficulty where are we
going to turn many years ago the Apostle
Paul faced that question from the crew
of his storm toss ship the giant swells
and waves were about to overwhelm the
small boat the lightning flashed and the
Thunder roared the Apostle stands in the
eye of the storm and says I believe God
this gave him a confidence a peace a
security that could not be found in any
of the other philosophies and ideologies
of his day you who are listening to my
voice today in the midst of the storms
of life do you have that same peace and
confidence which Paul had are you able
to stand in the face of the storms of
your own life and say I have faith in
God you can discover more about putting
your faith in Jesus Christ or deepening
the faith you already have just go to
our website find peace with
god.net that’s find peacewithgod.net
Our Guest on this episode of GPS God
people stories has been Ken fiser he’s a
husband father and faithful follower of
Jesus Christ and Ken ministered to a
victim of hurricane Helen hours before
the man died of his injuries others who
are ministering to survivors of
hurricane Helen in Western North
Carolina are chaplain from the Billy
Graham rapid response team our chaplain
are crisis management trained chaplain
we come to bring hope and peace through
Jesus and show them that Jesus loves
them Tony new is a chaplain coordinator
with the Billy Graham rapid response
team we’re praying for people we’re
talking to people and we’re talking to
homeowners we’re working with the
Samaritans purse team and a lot of the
Samaritans purse teams that are out
working in the community come from here
Samaritan’s Purse is a sister Ministry
of the Billy Graham Evangelistic
Association helping with the physical
work of recovering from disaster they
Minister side by side with chaplain from
the Billy Graham rapid response team and
that Ministry has been ongoing in
Western North Carolina and is now also
happening in the aftermath of hurricane
Milton you can learn more about all of
it by following the links in our show
notes we’re grateful for Ken fiser
joining us on this episode and sharing
his story and the story of his brother
in Christ David Carver Ken recorded this
episode from his son’s home as his
family all remained safe during the
storm if you’d like to make sure you
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we publish new episodes every two weeks
I’m Phil fleshman and this is GPS God
people stories it’s an Outreach Of The
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association
always good news
[Music]