‘You rescued us:’ Jacksonville family home safe after being stuck due to Hurricane Helene

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A family is back home and safe in the River City after being stuck in Western North Carolina due to Hurricane Helene.

“[There were] landslides and houses floating away. That’s when I was not only scared, but I was so concerned about these people who have lost their lives and their families,” Marcia Wilkinson said. “I thought how many more are there?”

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Wilkinson and her friend, Sue, took a trip to Burnsville last Wednesday. When Helene hit, thankfully their home was left intact. However, they lost power, cell service, and wifi. Plus, they had no way to get out.

“Our children were worried. They could not get in touch with us,” Wilkinson said.

“[We] just said we have to go,” Lou Larmoyeaux said.

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He and his brother-in-law got on the road, Sunday, and drove to Asheville, North Carolina. They made their way to Burnsville by Monday morning.

“The road that we used to drive in, up to their house, I mean it’s all washed out. We hiked eight miles from where we had to leave the vehicle,” Larmoyeaux said. “We had gotten word that there were two women who had died up in their community, so now our minds are kind of racing.”

After the eight-mile hike, they finally made it to Marcia and Sue.

“We walked out there. We hugged. We cried,” Wilkinson said. “I said ya’ll are our heroes and Lou said no we just facilitated. I said no ya’ll came up and you rescued us.”

Larmoyeaux said the real heroes are the men and women who are out there rescuing strangers.

They used a Kubota tractor to get back down to their vehicle. The family got back Tuesday night.

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