Despite record rainfall, Mae Amburgey, 98, refused to leave the place she has called home for the past seventy-three years.
Mae insisted that her Whitesburg, Kentucky ranch home had never flooded before, with the exception of a small amount of water in the basement, but this time was different. The majority of Eastern Kentucky was impacted by flash flooding as a result of the combination of heavy rainfall and a prolonged summer drought. Mae and two of her relatives were suddenly trapped inside a rapidly flooding home, surrounded by water.
All sides of the Amburgey residence in Kentucky were surrounded by floodwaters.
Amburgey remained in the residence as the water level rose steadily throughout the night. The following morning, the situation had become dire. Gregory took a photo of his grandmother sitting on her bed surrounded by filthy flood water and sent it to their family members.
Missy Amburgey Crovetti is the sister of Gregory. She resides in Green Oaks, Illinois, and the photograph of Mae immediately broke her heart.
“Just seeing this 98-year-old, almost 99-year-old woman sitting in the chaos and looking so helpless,” she said.
Around 9 a.m., Gregory and Larry began to call for assistance. There were rescue boats nearby, but they were inaccessible without traversing a vast expanse of floodwater with a strong current. Gregory was unable to help Larry, who is in his seventies, and Mae, who is almost 100, escape on his own. Fortunately, a mysterious stranger arrived just in time.
Randy Polly was driving by their residence when he became stranded due to flooding. As he waited for hours for assistance, he witnessed an extraordinary display of bravery and compassion.
A complete stranger responded to the Amburgey family’s cries for assistance by swimming towards their submerged home. He knocked on the door and window, then assisted each person in escaping. The three men assisted Mae onto a raft and swam to safety against the strong current.
Nobody knows who the man was, and he vanished before anyone could express gratitude. Now, the family is attempting to put the pieces back together so that Mae can return to one of the only homes she has ever known.
The interior of Mae Amburgey’s Kentucky home was destroyed by flooding, leaving behind trash and debris.
Missy stated, “She has lived in that house for 73 years,” Missy said. “The truth of the matter is it’s never going to be the same.”
Mae and Larry both required hospitalization to recover from their injuries. Due to water inhalation, Larry was on a ventilator for 24 hours, and Mae received antibiotics for a cut on her leg. A few days later, the elderly woman was also diagnosed with pneumonia.
Missy has created a GoFundMe page to assist the family’s recovery.
This photograph of Mae is absolutely heartbreaking, but we are so relieved that someone came to her rescue! We may never know who the stranger was, but we hope he is rewarded for his good deed.