A new story has recently come to light about a survivor of Hurricane Helene. 80-year-old Newport Tennessee woman Sheila Creveling battled the waters and fought with the river for 45 minutes before she was spotted and rescued.
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She had no other choice but to leap into the river as it had breached her front and back gardens. With her dog of 13 years in her arms, Biscuit, she jumped into the raging river.
"That's when I said, 'I'm not going to die today. Today is not the day I'm going to die.' And I didn't," said Creveling to 8 WVLT.
According to the Tennessee Disaster Response Team, Biscuit jumped from her arms when she began wading through the river. The dog was swept down the current where he was never seen again. Although Creveling survived the river in a "miracle," she's lost her home, belongings, and her pet dog.
Creveling Battled With River For A Long Time
Despite losing her dog and abandoning her home, Creveling was determined not to succumb to the raging river. She was swimming for her life for close to an hour. She eventually found her way to higher ground.
"I was determined to make it, and I did. 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," Creveling told the outlet.
After being spotted and rescued, Creveling was sent to the hospital. There, it was revealed that she had suffered from a heart attack whilst she was swimming. As surviving was the only thing on her mind, she somehow didn't notice.
She was treated at a larger hospital and has since recovered.
After all was said and done, Creveling had lost everything. All she managed to salvage from her home were her father's war medals and some family photos.
A GoFundMe was set up for Creveling, and at the time of writing almost $2,500 have been raised. Other items, such as "cosmetics and cleaning things" have been donated to her also, including a new camper for her to live in.
Without a house, she's been subjected to living in a hotel.
With the generosity and support of others, she'll soon be out of her predicament, although it'll never replace what was lost.
