Knoxville/ Crime & Emergencies
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Published on September 28, 2024
Desperate Rooftop Rescue as Over 50 Trapped on Tennessee Hospital During Hurricane Helene FloodwatersSource: Wikipedia/Ljuba brank, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

More than 50 individuals are currently stranded atop an East Tennessee hospital as rising floodwaters from Hurricane Helene have made rescue operations perilous. The situation unraveled yesterday at Unicoi County Hospital, situated in Erwin, approximately 40 miles from Asheville. Rescue attempts, involving boats and helicopters, have been severely hindered by the surrounding rapidly moving waters and the effect of high winds.

Ballad Health, the health system that owns the hospital, notified the public about the need to evacuate the premises at around 9:30 a.m. yesterday. Consequently, 54 people, including 11 patients, were urgently moved to the roof as floodwaters consumed the building. Ambulances dispatched to the site were unable to safely approach the hospital due to the flooding. According to a statement obtained by FOX13, rescue boats attempted to reach those stranded, but the swift waters rendered efforts fruitless. The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) and the National Guard are actively collaborating on what has been described as "a dangerous rescue operation." Michael Baker, an Erwin town alderman, shared information on the evolving scenario with CNN. "There’s a helicopter on top of the hospital, and we have another one, hovering nearby to start to carousel getting everybody off, but this is a team effort."

Ballad Health, through Facebook, described "The hospital has been engulfed by extremely dangerous and rapidly moving water." Not only has the rising Nolichucky River caused immediate challenges, but the high winds associated with Tropical Storm Helene are complicating the use of helicopter rescue, which could not safely evacuate individuals for a period. WVLT-TV reported that by 1 p.m. yesterday, 54 people remained trapped on the roof, with an additional seven in rescue boats, struggling to safely navigate the treacherous waters.

"The water came up so fast, I literally looked at the owner and said, 'We’ve got to get out of here,'" Baker told CNN. Although no casualties have been reported, Baker stressed the severe and potentially lethal nature of the situation, indicating the rescue's critical importance for those awaiting help in the tumult wrought by Helene, as per FOX 13.

For further details regarding the flooding at Unicoi County Hospital, Knox News provides ongoing coverage amid this natural disaster.