A Tennessee emergency room nurse has been hailed as a “guardian angel” after her dog died while trying to save a man stranded in Hurricane Helen's floodwaters.
Boone McCrary, his girlfriend Santana Ray, and chocolate expert Moss went on a mission to find David Boutin, whose Greenville home was destroyed by rapids from the Nolichucky River on Sept. 27. He left on a fishing boat, the Associated Press reported. reported.
McCrary's sister, Laura Harville, told the magazine that after the hurricane struck, her brother learned of Boutin's plight and asked friends on Facebook if anyone needed help.
That Friday evening, about two hours after the rescue attempt, the 32-year-old nurse's boat became stuck in debris, struck a bridge and capsized.
Ray was caught on a branch and rescued several hours later, but McCrary and Moss were nowhere to be seen.
“I got the first call at 8:56 p.m. and I was nervous,” Harville said of how he went to the bridge and began searching the bank.
She then gathered “hundreds” of volunteers for the search party, which used technology such as drones and thermal cameras, along with hunting dogs, to find traces of her brother.
A drone pilot spotted the damaged fishing boat on Sunday, and instead of Mr McCrary's body, Mr Moss' body was found nearby.
On Tuesday, four days after the nurse went missing, Harville said searchers “noticed a vulture flying” about 21 river miles from the bridge where McCrary was separated from his girlfriend. said.
His body was swept under two more bridges, on the highway and over Nolichucky Dam, his grieving sister said.
McCrary's last TikTok video, posted earlier this summer, eerily captured his love of water and adventurous personality.
@boonemccrary
“Some people ask me if I have a 'death wish.' Added a caption to the video. “I want to feel life flowing through my veins.”
“One thing about me is that I may be ‘crazy.’ I may be a little reckless at times, but when the time comes to step back, I I can say that I lived to the fullest.”
Harville said her brother “made sure to live life to the fullest, never forgetting his fellow men and women and supporting each other along the way.”
Boutin didn't learn of McCrary's fate until the next day, when he was finally rescued by others.
“I've never met anyone willing to risk their life for me,” he told The Associated Press. “From what I hear, that's always been the case for him. He's my guardian angel, that's for sure.”
“When the news broke, I didn't know how to take it,” he added. “I wish I could thank him for giving his life for me.”
Boutin's dog Buddy is also presumed to be one of Helen's victims, as he has not been found for over a week.
The 46-year-old told media how his home was destroyed and how the torrent took “my best friend, everything” from his arm.
Tributes for McCrary flooded social media, with Harville writing on Facebook: “He will be on the water forever, just as he wanted to be.”
Tuesday's Update This is with a broken heart, but the search for my brother, Boone McCrary, is over. he is forever…
Posted by Laura McCrary Harville above Tuesday, October 1, 2024
McCrary's hunting friend Brett Hall said he saw his friend's initial post that his boat was “hooked up and ready to go” to help those in need. said.
On Saturday evening, as I was selfishly securing my place during the recent storm, I saw a post someone had written.
Posted by Brett Hall above Wednesday, October 2, 2024
“A few hours later, another hunting buddy, James Ferguson Jr., posted asking if I had heard which river our friend was on. I knew it wasn't good,” Hall said. wrote.
“Boone McCrary truly had a heart of service to others. Boone didn't owe anyone in East Tennessee, but he decided to put his own needs aside and help anyway.” continued the friend, adding, “Boone made the ultimate sacrifice when his boat capsized while on the move.'' The best thing to do is help others. ”
As an employee of Greenville Community Hospital, McCrary was also remembered by the Tennessee-based Ballard Health hospital chain.
Boone McCrary, RN, a beloved nurse at Greenville Community Hospital and a member of the Ballard Health family, is…
Posted by ballard health above Thursday, October 3, 2024
“The Ballard Health team will remember Mr. Boone as the ultimate caregiver who was kind, compassionate and had an extraordinary personality,” the health care company said. “In recent days, our team has learned that he sang songs to cheer up team members and patients, and that he loved music and his beloved chocolate lab, Moss, who was always with him. I heard you sharing the same story.
The death toll from Hurricane Helen has risen to at least 227 as search and rescue operations and body recovery efforts continue, according to the latest announcements. update From AP.
