Karen Sharp

Karen Sharp

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Son Swims Half A Mile To Save His Mom From Hurricane Ian Flood

Ohio Flood

Photo: Getty Images

In Naples, Florida, Karen Lauder, 86, was found in her home nearly to her shoulders in water following Hurricane Ian.

Photos were taken of Karen's state and home after Hurricane Ian's landfall last Wednesday. Her photos were taken by her son, Johnny Lauder, when he made the journey to rescue his mother, Karen Lauder, from her home, which she refused to leave.

Johnny sent short videos and photos to his family as he made his journey to let them know he was OK.

"That's how I unintentionally documented the whole ordeal," he said.

Before the storm hit, Lauder stated that his mother" kicked and screamed" and said she didn't want to leave her home.

"We didn't evacuate because we couldn't leave her behind," he explained.

His mother was not expecting the level of destruction Ian would bring. Lauder stated that his mom's house had flooded about 6 inches (15 centimeters) deep during Hurricane Irma in 2017 and was expecting a similar outcome with Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane Ian became Florida's most powerful storm ever recorded in the U.S., which sent more than 3 feet (91 centimeters) of water around her home, causing Karen Lauder to be stuck inside. It led her to call her son for help.

Johnny Lauder documented his rescue by taking a selfie with his mom.

"She said the water was up to her wheelchair and hitting her belly button," Lauder said. He was sheltering at his son's house, a half-mile (0.8 km) from his mom.

Lauder's son has had rescue diver training and dove out the window to reach his mom. Johnny swam, walked, waded, and kicked through water for about 45 minutes to get to his mom's house. He stated that he made sure to steer clear of electric poles, cars, and other things that floated past him.

Johnny said he could hear his mother screaming as he approached.

"It was a sense of terror and relief at the same time," he said. "The terror was that I didn't know if something was falling on her or if she was trapped and hurt. But the relief was knowing that there's still air in her lungs."

Once he reached his mother's side, he put her on a table and bundled her in dry sheets from a high shelf. When he assessed her, his concerns grew for her as he noticed sores around her body and open wounds that were dangerously susceptible to infection because of the bacteria-ridden floodwater.

Together they waited three hours for the water to subside so that he could get her through the streets in her wheelchair. Unfortunately, the water began to rise again, and Johnny had to call his son for assistance to get Karen to safety.

Fortunately, around 1 a.m., Lauder returned to his home safely with his mother and younger son in tow.

Lauder said his mom was later taken to a hospital because she had some infections. "But they were treated, and she's warm. She's in a soft comfy bed. She's good," he added.

Since the rescue, Cassandra Clark, Lauder's sister-in-law in Miami, started a GoFundMe to raise money for the family.

"While we're so grateful our family is physically alright, they've lost absolutely everything in this storm and, unfortunately, did not have any renter's insurance," Clark wrote.

As of Tuesday, they have raised over $17,000.

"I get choked up that all these people are helping me and they don't even know me," Lauder said. He hopes that people will know how to evacuate. "My mom has changed her tone: she will be evacuating next time," he said. "I hope people learn from other's mistakes and not their own."

Source: ABC 7


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