A devoted father risked his life to make sure he didn't miss one of the most important moments in his daughter's life: taking her to Virgin Road on her wedding day.
David Jones had planned to drive two hours from South Carolina to Johnson City, Tennessee, over the weekend to attend his daughter Elizabeth Jones' wedding, but had to detour due to extreme flooding caused by Hurricane Helen. I decided to do it.
Jones told FOX News Digital that his vehicle changed direction multiple times while traveling on Interstate 26 and finally crossed the state line into Tennessee around 2 a.m. .
“About seven hours into the trip, we finally arrived in Tennessee and found ourselves at Exit 43 and Temple Hill Road off Interstate 26, an exit I will always remember,” Jones said. I remembered.
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David Jones was able to walk his daughter down the aisle and attend her wedding after walking nearly 30 miles through flood debris to reach her. (Elizabeth Marquez)
Traffic was stopped, cars and trucks lined the ramp and a group of Tennessee State Police police lined the roadway, Jones said.
Jones said he got out of his car to talk to officers and see if there was another route to Johnson City.
Unfortunately, the police officer informed us that this was the end of the road and that the entire road had been washed away and was impassable.
“He said all three bridges were completely destroyed and no vehicles could pass. I said, 'You're going to have to get back in your car and spend the night here.'” So I said, And they said, “Sir, those are being washed out too, I mean, we don't know all the details yet, but we're not letting anyone wash out on any of the roads.'' So I said, “Okay, we can't drive, so can we walk?” Jones said.
At that point, the officer, whom Jones called professional and praised all the officers who risk lives and work around the clock and beyond to save lives, said he He said he told him he couldn't let it pass.
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“'I want you to understand, my daughter is getting married this morning at 11 o'clock, and I'm going to be standing by her side and walking her down the aisle,'” Jones said.
Jones, who has run marathons before, estimated the distance to be less than 30 miles, so he grabbed his backpack and set out through the darkness and piles of rubble, relying only on the light of his cell phone. did.
The two-hour commute to Tennessee took nearly seven hours by car and five and a half hours on foot.
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David Jones travels 30 miles on foot to get to the ceremony and prepare for his first look with his daughter Elizabeth on their wedding day. (Eva Jones)
“As we continued down the road, we encountered a lot of mud, a lot of debris, huge debris, fields, desolate conditions. It's beyond my ability to even describe. And it was really bad. And I'm really sorry that it's going to take years for the people who live in that area and everything they're trying to rebuild to get back on track,'' Jones said.
“There were many trials and tribulations along the way, but in the back of my mind I believed that my daughter would get married at 11 and I would be by her side as she walked through her life.'' “Aisle,'' Jones said.
To increase safety and visibility, he grabbed a reflector pole placed on the side of the road so that passing cars could see him.
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David Jones arrived at his daughter's wedding on time after walking nearly 30 miles through flooded debris from Hurricane Helen. (Eva Jones)
In a further twist to the trip, a driver, who Jones said he knew from a previous job, spotted him walking along the road and offered to drive him the last eight miles to his destination. It was.
“There were a lot of gods in this story, probably more than I can describe,” said Jones, who was picked up by an old friend. “But one of the things he said was that he was up early that morning. He couldn't sleep. He didn't know why. So he got up and went to this one house. I came here to check.’ Now that the electricity was back on, I realized what had woken him up and kept him awake… It was him making sure I got to church on time. He was a good Lord. ” said Jones.
Jones added that even though the entire church lost power, they were able to light enough candles to light up the church. Despite the weather, all of the guests who were scheduled to attend the wedding were able to attend.
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David Jones walked nearly 30 miles through flood debris to arrive on his daughter's wedding day. (Eva Jones)
David's daughter and bride-to-be had no idea what her father had done to be present on her wedding day, from when he showed up to his speech at the reception.
“I brought a reflector and I held it out to them and asked them to let it be a memory and to always protect each other, especially when we need it the most.” I wanted to continue to be a good reflection of God, as it was for me as well. So, at that point, I kind of came full circle,” Jones said with her daughter and her wedding guests. told what happened.
Elizabeth Jones (now Marquez) was on her way to her honeymoon and couldn't speak on camera, but God was watching over her father and smiled on his courage and strength to get to the wedding. That's what he said.
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“It was shocking. I had no idea what he was saying. How could that actually be possible and true?” Marquez told Fox News Digital by phone. “While my heart was sinking deep inside, I was filled with gratitude that he was safe despite what a dangerous journey he had taken. I was overwhelmed by the love he showed me by going to such lengths to attend our wedding.” ”
Elizabeth's sister, Eva Jones, echoed her sister's sentiments about her father's resilience.
“When I say I have the best father in the world, I mean it from the bottom of my heart. The word 'extremely' can't even begin to describe how proud I am to call him my father. I'm so proud to be his daughter and incredibly proud to be his daughter. Love and determination runs through my veins, I love you,” Eva Jones wrote in a Facebook post.
“We've all cried for days over this. It's the love every girl wants and deserves from her father. It's an incredible expression of love, commitment, and God's will.” Eva Jones told Fox News Digital about his father fighting for this love. To my sister's wedding.
