Tennessee
Tennessee nurse and his dog died trying to save a man from Hurricane Helene: ‘My guardian angel’
As the Hurricane Helene-driven waters rose around the Nolichucky River in Tennessee, Boone McCrary, his girlfriend and his chocolate lab headed out on his fishing boat to search for a man who was stranded by floodwaters that had leveled his home. But the thick debris in the water jammed the boat’s motor, and without power, it slammed into a bridge support and capsized.
McCrary and his dog Moss never made it out of the water alive.
Search teams found McCrary’s boat and his dog’s body two days later, but it took four days to find McCrary, an emergency room nurse whose passion was being on his boat in that river. His girlfriend, Santana Ray, held onto a branch for hours before rescuers reached her.
David Boutin, the man McCrary had set out to rescue, was distraught when he later learned McCrary had died trying to save him.
“I’ve never had anyone risk their life for me,” Boutin told The Associated Press. “From what I hear that was the way he always been. He’s my guardian angel, that’s for sure.”
The 46-year-old recalled how the force of the water swept him out his front door and ripped his dog Buddy — “My best friend, all I have” — from his arms. Boutin was rescued by another team after clinging to tree branches in the raging river for six hours. Buddy is still missing, and Boutin knows he couldn’t have survived.
McCrary was one of at least 230 people killed by Hurricane Helene’s raging waters and falling trees across six states — Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia — and was among a group of first responders who perished while trying to save others. The hurricane caused significant damage in nearby Unicoi County, where flooding swept away 11 workers at an plastics factory and forced a rescue mission at an Erwin, Tennessee, hospital.
McCrary, an avid hunter and fisherman, spent his time cruising the waterways that snake around Greeneville, Tennessee. When the hurricane hit, the 32-year-old asked friends on Facebook if anyone needed help, said his sister, Laura Harville. That was how he learned about Boutin.
McCrary, his girlfriend and Moss the dog launched into a flooded neighborhood at about 7 p.m. on Sept. 27 and approached Boutin’s location, but the debris-littered floodwaters clogged the boat’s jet motor. Despite pushing and pulling the throttle, McCrary couldn’t clear the junk and slammed into the bridge about two hours into the rescue attempt.
Helene’s path of destruction
- Helene slammed into Florida’s Big Bend coastline Thursday night as a Category 4 hurricane, pounding the state with 155-mph gusts and killing at least 13.
- Helene moved northeast into Georgia, where it was downgraded to a tropical storm by Friday morning, but winds and floods left 25 dead in the state.
- By Friday afternoon, Helene had moved over parts of Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina, where at least 29 died.
- Relentless rain drenched Appalachia Friday night, sending floodwaters and mudslides crashing through mountain towns.
- In North Carolina, at least 35 people died in the Asheville area, and a tornado injured 15 in Rocky Mount.
- Over the weekend, rescuers struggled to clear roads and recover bodies. The death toll is 192 and counting.
READ MORE
“I got the first phone call at 8:56 p.m. and I was a nervous wreck,” Harville said. She headed to the bridge and started walking the banks.
Harville organized hundreds of volunteers who used drones, thermal cameras, binoculars and hunting dogs to scour the muddy banks, fending off copperhead snakes, trudging through knee-high muck and fighting through tangled branches. Harville collected items that carried McCrary’s scent — a pillowcase, sock and insoles from his nursing shoes — and stuffed them into mason jars for the canines to sniff.
On Sunday, a drone operator spotted the boat. They found Moss dead nearby, but there was no sign of McCrary.
Searchers had no luck on Monday, “but on Tuesday they noticed vultures flying,” Harville said. That was how they found McCrary’s body, about 21 river miles (33 kilometers) from the bridge where the boat capsized, she said.
The force of the floodwaters carried McCrary under two other bridges, under the highway and over the Nolichucky Dam, she said. The Tennessee Valley Authority said about 1.3 million gallons (4.9 million liters) of water per second was flowing over the dam on the night McCrary was swept away, more than double the flow rate of the dam’s last regulated release nearly a half-century ago.
Boutin, 46, isn’t sure where he will go next. He is staying with his son for a few days and then hopes to get a hotel voucher.
He didn’t learn about McCrary’s fate until the day after he was rescued.
“When the news hit, I didn’t know how to take it,” Boutin told the AP. “I wish I could thank him for giving his life for me.”
Dozens of McCrary’s coworkers at Greenville Community Hospital have posted tributes to him, recalling his kindness and compassion and desire to help others. He “was adamant about living life to the fullest and making sure along the way that you didn’t forget your fellow man or woman and that you helped each other,” Harville said.
McCrary’s last TikTok video posted before the hurricane shows him speeding along the surface of rushing muddy water to the tune, “Wanted Dead or Alive.” He wrote a message along the bottom that read:
“Some people have asked if I had a ‘death wish.’ The truth is that I have a ‘life wish.’ I have a need for feeling the life running through my veins. One thing about me, I may be ‘crazy,’ Perhaps a little reckless at times, but when the time comes to put me in the ground, you can say I lived it all the way.”
A Tennessee fugitive who was accused of rape and fled to Alaska was arrested in Ketchikan on Saturday, U.S. Marshals say.
Michael Shane Vaughan, 46, was arrested with the help of the Ketchikan Police Department early Saturday, Deputy U.S. Marshal Christian Marrero said in an emailed statement.
Vaughan was wanted by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department on two counts of rape, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. He was last seen in Nashville in September of last year after the incident, U.S. Marshals said.
On Friday, the U.S. Marshals Middle Tennessee Fugitive Task Force asked for the public’s help in locating Vaughan, saying he may be in Alaska because he previously told relatives he would flee to the state, where he has ties and previously live.
It’s unclear how police learned Vaughan was in Ketchikan or what he was doing in Southeast Alaska.
Marrero didn’t immediately respond to questions on Saturday morning about the arrest and what led to it.
Vaughan was jailed at the Ketchikan Correctional Center as of Saturday morning, according to an online jail roster.
U.S. Marshals said he would remain in custody until extradited to Tennessee.
Tennessee
Tennessee woman arrested after allegedly trying to drown one of her children in backyard pool
ICE officer Gregory Simmons details saving child from drowning
ICE Law Enforcement Officer Gregory Simmons describes the dramatic pool rescue of a 6-year-old child from drowning in Pasco County, Florida. Simmons reacted instinctively, performing CPR to revive the unconscious child. His quick actions highlight the heroic efforts of law enforcement officers on and off duty.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
A Tennessee woman was arrested this week after authorities said she tried to drown one of her children in a backyard swimming pool.
Mikaylee Rae Beirne, 31, of Johnson City, was charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect following the July 15 incident, according to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office.
Washington County Sheriff Keith Sexton said deputies responded to a disturbance at a home on Cochran Road around 5 p.m.
BROOKLYN MOTHER WHO DROWNED HER THREE CHILDREN IN THE OCEAN NEAR CONEY ISLAND SENTENCED TO DECADES IN PRISON
Mikaylee Rae Beirne was charged with aggravated child abuse and neglect after authorities said she tried to drown one of her children in a backyard swimming pool in Johnson City, Tennessee. (Washington County Sheriff’s Office)
Witnesses told deputies Beirne was in the backyard pool with multiple children while another adult was inside the home.
According to investigators, one of the children ran inside to alert the adult that Beirne was allegedly forcing another child underwater.
The adult rushed to the pool and demanded that Beirne release the child, but she refused, authorities said.
DAYCARE OPERATOR ARRESTED AFTER 3-YEAR-OLD WAS LEFT UNCONSCIOUS IN POOL FOR 20 MINUTES, DIED
Mikaylee Rae Beirne was arrested after authorities alleged she tried to drown one of her children in a backyard swimming pool in Johnson City, Tennessee. (Washington County Sheriff’s Office)
The adult then pulled Beirne away and helped the child out of the water. Officials said another adult arrived at the home and briefly interacted with Beirne before deputies arrived. Beirne left the scene before law enforcement responded.
The children were taken inside the home while emergency personnel were called. Authorities said the child suffered minor injuries and bruising.
The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said a Tennessee woman was arrested after allegedly trying to drown one of her children in a backyard pool. (Washington County Sheriff’s Office)
Deputies located Beirne a short time later and took her into custody.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
She is being held at the Washington County Detention Center on a $50,000 bond.
See inside L.L.Bean’s first Tennessee location at Franklin mall
L.L.Bean has officially opened the doors to its inaugural Tennessee location at Cool Springs Galleria Mall.
The boot has arrived. After months of anticipation, L.L.Bean opened its inaugural Tennessee location at Cool Springs Galleria mall in Franklin July 17.
To celebrate and spread the word, L.L.Bean’s 13-foot-tall Bootmobile boot-shaped vehicle made appearances throughout the Franklin area, including stops at The Franklin Butchery, Hank’s Coffee Station, Leiper’s Fork Distillery and a Nashville Sounds game.
“For generations, Tennesseans have shopped with L.L.Bean through our catalog and online channels, and we’re excited to finally bring the brand experience to life in Franklin,” said L.L.Bean District Manager Kenon Mitchell. “With its strong outdoor culture and growing community, Franklin is a natural home for L.L.Bean. We look forward to deepening our connection with longtime customers while introducing the brand to new audiences through our legendary service, quality products and outdoor expertise.”
Some fans of the Maine-based outdoor gear store arrived for the opening before dawn.
First in a line of about 150 people was Paul Smith, who got there at 3 a.m.
“We are super excited for this,” Smith said. “We always go up to their headquarters in Maine, so we know what L.L. Bean is and we love them.”
Smith was most excited to purchase some more of their equipment: “Their outdoor equipment is really great. Their backpacks are well known for being waterproof and long-lasting.”
L.L.Bean also made a $10,000 contribution to the Franklin Family YMCA. Since 2022, L.L.Bean has contributed more than $2.25 million to YMCA Summer Camp scholarships.
“We’re an all-American outdoor lifestyle program,” Mitchell said. No matter if you’re walking your dog, playing with your kids, or you’re hiking around, we’re providing the gear that helps to make that experience better. We’ve been around for 114 years and our stuff is really well crafted, that people have loved for years. We’re happy to bring this store to our current fans while bringing our store to more people.
L.L. Bean is located at 1800 Galleria Blvd. Suite 252 at Cool Springs Galleria. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays.
-
Michigan45 seconds agoTaylor Farms recall: Check your fridge for iceberg lettuce products sold in Michigan amid cyclosporiasis outbreak
-
Massachusetts7 minutes agoWoman killed in Taunton car crash
-
Minnesota13 minutes agoNew air quality alert issued through Monday for Minnesota
-
Mississippi19 minutes agoDavid Turner, a three-time Mississippi State football assistant, announces retirement
-
Missouri25 minutes ago1 woman, 1 firefighter injured in Saturday morning fire in Kansas City, Missouri
-
Montana31 minutes agoCentral Montana Fair main events kick off Wednesday
-
Nebraska37 minutes agoGallery: 39th Annual Kearney Cruise Nite Show and Shine
-
Nevada43 minutes agoNevada City Housing Element Community Workshop on July 30
