North Carolina
Man jumps into raging North Carolina river to save woman as home swept away by Helene
Eddie Hunnell was in Holly Springs, NC for his son’s wedding at the peak of Helene’s wrath when they got word a woman was trapped in a flooded home down the street, and the situation was becoming more dire by the second.
GRASSY CREEK, N.C. – Eddie Hunnell jumped head-first into a raging North Carolina river to save a woman who was swept into the current by powerful Hurricane Helene floodwater.
The daring rescue occurred in the mountainous town of Grassy Creek, where heavy rainfall from Helene sent the New River surging over its banks.
Hunnell was in town for his son’s wedding. He and family members were getting ready for the rehearsal dinner when the storm continued to intensify, with trees falling and river waters rising.
Through the trees, the home could be seen floating down the river.
(Eddie Hunnell / FOX Weather)
As Hunnell and his family were waiting to see whether the storm would need to cancel the dinner, Hunnell said he saw multiple homes caught in the surging river.
“And somebody came in and said, ‘There’s a woman trapped in the house right up the road.’ And so the entire group of us that were there, about 15 people went up to see if we could help,” Hunnell said.
In one of those homes, he saw a woman standing on the second floor and wearing a lifejacket.
“We had tried to figure out how we could get her out, but the water was 10 feet deep and just roaring by the house,” he said.
Then the situation became even more desperate.
“The house started moving, floating down the river and falling apart,” Hunnell said. “I didn’t want her trapped in it.”
Hunnell, along with the people he was with, urged the woman to jump into the river – and she did.
“I couldn’t get to her in that canoe there,” he said. “And I didn’t see another option. I didn’t want her to see her drowned. And so I jumped in to get to her.”
Hunnell hugging the woman he saved.
(Eddie Hunnell / FOX Weather)
Video of the incident shows Hunnell swimming towards the woman.
“The biggest concern other than the fast water was the debris in it,” he said. “I didn’t want that house to come down on us. We went through that 150 yards of really fast water, and there were obstructions on both sides. And we just had to ride that out. After that 150 yards or so, I was holding on to the back of her life vest and the river spread out a little bit, got wider, and those obstructions ended.”
He was able to side swim with her out of the rapids and eventually back to shore where she had an emotional reunion with her husband.
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“We got out, reunited her with her husband and then, you know, it was over. And then it was back to thinking about the wedding,” he said. “We invited them to the rehearsal dinner,” though he added the rehearsal part was canceled.
The wedding did go as planned on Saturday with reminders of nature’s destructive powers.
“And so we had had a nice wedding – in that picture… you can see the debris in the grass,” he said.
“Behind that debris is from, you know, some of it from their house, from the worst house. It was the hardest thing watching somebody lose their house right in front of them. That was very hard. I had seen four other houses that day go down the river. So I saw at least five houses, you know, five people’s lives torn apart.”
After four years at Duke, Grayson Allen is back in North Carolina, now a member of the Charlotte Hornets.
Former Blue Devil Grayson Allen will play home games in North Carolina for the first time in his professional career after four years at Duke. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Allen is on the move to the Charlotte Hornets after three seasons with the Phoenix Suns.
Allen was traded alongside Royce O’Neale and draft capital in return for Miles Bridges and draft picks. Allen was at Duke from 2014 to 2018, earning an NCAA championship and two All-ACC selections.
With Allen now a member of the Hornets, this will create a Duke trio in Charlotte, which includes Allen, Kon Knueppel and Sion James.
The NC Lottery offers several draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at Saturday, June 27, 2026 results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from June 27 drawing
03-16-28-30-59, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 3 numbers from June 27 drawing
Day: 7-6-8, Fireball: 2
Evening: 3-1-0, Fireball: 4
Check Pick 3 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Pick 4 numbers from June 27 drawing
Day: 8-0-2-2, Fireball: 9
Evening: 8-1-5-3, Fireball: 0
Check Pick 4 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Cash 5 numbers from June 27 drawing
02-08-10-17-28
Check Cash 5 payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Double Play numbers from June 27 drawing
01-02-15-25-36
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 27 drawing
26-32-38-51-52, Bonus: 05
Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize
All North Carolina Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.
For prizes over $599, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at North Carolina Lottery Offices. By mail, send a prize claim form, your signed lottery ticket, copies of a government-issued photo ID and social security card to: North Carolina Education Lottery, P.O. Box 41606, Raleigh, NC 27629. Prize claims less than $600 do not require copies of photo ID or a social security card.
To submit in person, sign the back of your ticket, fill out a prize claim form and deliver the form, along with your signed lottery ticket and government-issued photo ID and social security card to any of these locations:
- Asheville Regional Office & Claim Center: 16-G Regent Park Blvd., Asheville, NC 28806, 877-625-6886 press #1. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Greensboro Regional Office & Claim Center: 20A Oak Branch Drive, Greensboro, NC 27407, 877-625-6886 press #2. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Charlotte Regional Office & Claim Center: 5029-A West W. T. Harris Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28269-1861, 877-625-6886 press #3. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- NC Lottery Headquarters: Raleigh Claim Center & Regional Office, 2728 Capital Blvd., Suite 144, Raleigh, NC 27604, 877-625-6886 press #4. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes of any amount.
- Greenville Regional Office & Claim Center: 2790 Dickinson Avenue, Suite A, Greenville, NC 27834, 877-625-6886 press #5. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
- Wilmington Regional Office & Claim Center: 123 North Cardinal Drive Extension, Suite 140, Wilmington, NC 28405, 877-625-6886 press #6. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. This office can cash prizes up to $99,999.
Check previous winning numbers and payouts at https://nclottery.com/.
When are the North Carolina Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11 p.m. Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:38 p.m. daily.
- Pick 3, 4: 3:00 p.m. and 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Cash 5: 11:22 p.m. daily.
- Millionaire for Life: 11:15 p.m. daily.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Carolina Connect editor. You can send feedback using this form.
An AMBER Alert has been issued for a 15-year-old New Bern boy after police say he was abducted at gunpoint from a motel early Saturday morning.
According to the New Bern Police Department, officers responded around 3:15 a.m. to the Palace Motel, located at 1901 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., after receiving a report of a child abduction.
Police said two adults inside the motel room told officers they had been asleep with two boys — 15-year-old Isaiah Kavon Owens and 13-year-old Kenneth Brantley Jr. — when they were awakened by someone banging on the door.
According to investigators, Larry Tompkins opened the door and encountered multiple people, including Kenneth Lee Brantley Sr., the father of Kenneth Brantley Jr.
Police said Brantley pointed a gun at Tompkins before taking both boys from the room and leaving in a black 2012 GMC Yukon Denali XL with South Carolina license plate XFH752.
Authorities said Brantley may be traveling to his residence in Marion, South Carolina. A statewide BOLO (Be On the Lookout) has been issued for the vehicle.
The North Carolina Center for Missing Persons issued an AMBER Alert Friday morning at the request of the New Bern Police Department.
Isaiah is described as a Black male, 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing approximately 100 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes and was last seen wearing a white hooded sweatshirt, black pants and red-and-blue sneakers.
Police said Isaiah is autistic and has a speech delay.
Investigators said arrest warrants have been obtained for Brantley charging him with the abduction and endangerment of Isaiah Owens.
The New Bern Police Department said it is working with local, state, out-of-state and federal law enforcement agencies to locate Isaiah and ensure his safe return.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the New Bern Police Department at 252-633-2020, their local law enforcement agency, or call 911 immediately.
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Authorities advise the public not to approach Brantley.
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