80-year-old woman’s dog swept away by Helene floodwaters as she fought to stay afloat despite heart attack: report
An 80-year-old Tennessee woman couldn’t hold onto her beloved dog in Hurricane Helene’s devastating floo🐬d waters – but she stayed afloat for an hour despite suffering a heart attack, reports said.
Shelia Creveling took to the water during the monster storm three weeks ago, with her loyal pup Biscuit in her arms in a desperate b🐓id to avoid the rising water at her home along the French Broad Rive🀅r in Newport,
“That‘s when I said, ’I‘m not going to die today. T꧅oday is not the day I’m going to die,’” she told the network. “And I didn’t.”
But the same couldn’t be said for Biscuit, who was unfortunately torn from her by the savage fo𒅌rce of the churning waters.
Creveling was then left alone as she fought to stay afloat through th🐻e flood for 45 minutes, taking deep gulps of air wheneveꦐr she could come to the top, the station said.
“Sheila collected e⛄very ounce of strength left in her 80-year-old body and fought the cold rapid currents of thౠe river,” according to a GoFundMe that’s raised more than $2,000 for her since the Sept. 27 .
“Sheila stated she must💟 have swum the length of 3 football fields before feeling solid earth under her soaked and weak body.”
But eventually, she did run aground above the flood — in 💜what she believed༒ was a miracle.
“I was determined to make it, and I did,” Creveling saiꦜd. “I think that’s a miracle because I ended up right where I wanted to. How 💟that happened, I can’t tell you, but I did, and someone found me and saved me.”
First 🧸responders rescued her and brought her to the hospital, where she got another eye-popping surprise: She’d actually had a heart attack in the middle of it all.
But that hadn’t stopped her from fighting for her veᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚᩚ𒀱ᩚᩚᩚry life.
She was released a few days lat💯er, the GoFundMe said, but now another struggle has begun: Rebuilding the life she once had from a Pigeon Forge hotel, where she has lived for the last three wee൩ks.
She’s taken to the task with her typ🌠ical pluck, however.
“Sheila’s entire life and belongings were destroyed by the French Broad River, but it most certainly did not drown her fighting spiri♌t,” the GoFundMe said.
“She is a remarkable human being and has given ꦡall who care for her a new-found appreci💞ation for life.”
Creveling saved litt🤪le fr𓆏om her riverside home — just a few of her father’s medals and some pictures.
“So many cosmetics and cleaning thin﷽gs, and it’s just so much,” she said. “You♔ really can’t have any organization. It’s just you put it here, you put it there, and that’s the way it has to stay.”
Soon, however, she’ll move to a newly-donated camper that will become her home🔴. And her mission will conti🧸nue.
“It’s pretty nice,” the resilient woman said.
