A man in Avery County, North Carolina, is sharing his deep grief over losing his beloved wife during Hurricane Helene.
After mudslides slammed into their home on September 27, Jamie Guinn was hospitalized with a fractured back and laceration on his head, WRAL reported Monday.
Guinn is heartbroken because his lost his wife, Melissa, as he sheltered with her and their eight-year-old son in their home.
“Within an hour, my entire life changed for the rest of my life. I guess definitely love who you got because you really don’t know when they’re gone,” the father of four said.
An image shows the couple:
Two mudslides hit the back of their home and knocked the residence off a cliff and into a river. Although Guinn was able to free himself, he heard Melissa screaming from the house’s original site, yelling warnings to him.
Moments before another mudslide occurred, Guinn took their little boy to a safe area. At that point, his wife’s screams had stopped and Guinn said he thinks she was swept into the river.
“When I got right behind my little boy, I started screaming for my wife because I couldn’t hear her anymore. Then, he turned and looked at me and said, ‘Daddy, I think Mommy’s gone,'” he recalled.
Guinn was released from the hospital on Saturday, WRAL reported, noting he was also reunited with his children:
When speaking of his loss, Guinn said, “I don’t think I still even comprehended. Part of me feels like I’m still in a state of shock and understanding everything that happened. I think I’m just making myself realize everything that did happen.”
The Associated Press (AP) reported Saturday the death toll due to Hurricane Helene had risen to 227.
“Helene is the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland U.S. since Katrina in 2005. About half the victims were in North Carolina, while dozens more were killed in Georgia and South Carolina,” the article read.