Lake Lure Couple Rebuild After Harrowing Helicopter Rescue

This is the story of how Mike and Susan Coffey thought they had been rescued from Hurricane Helene by a heroic civilian helicopter pilot - only to be separated again as their rescuer was threatened with arrest for his efforts.

https://www.qcnews.com/news/investigations/wife-saved-by-volunteer-pilot-met-angry-official-at-landing-zone-husband-stranded/

During the night of Sept. 26th, 2024, my father, Mike Coffey, and his wife Susan anxiously watched near Chimney Rock/Lake Lure, North Carolina as Hurricane Helene's floodwaters began to strip rocks and trees from the hillside that their own house sat on. With mere minutes to spare, they rushed to their car, drove up the hill, and watched in disbelief as their beautiful mountain home, which they had moved into only weeks prior, began to collapse into the water. Slowly at first, then all at once, Mike and Susan were forced to look on helplessly as their home, their belongings, and their life savings were washed away by the raging torrent.

As all too many have experienced, this horrible loss was only the beginning of a days-long crisis. Trapped on a now-isolated mountain, the bridge washed away, Mike and Susan survived for two days sheltering in their car and at a neighbor's house, utterly cut off from the world. All they had was two bottles of water, two bags of chips, and their faithful cat Cleo. There was no indication of when help might arrive, or if anyone even knew they were there.

By Sunday, Sept. 29th, my father had arranged large rocks into an SOS sign visible from the air. Over 48 hours had passed since everything they owned had washed away. In an instant of what I can only imagine was tremendous relief, Mike and Susan saw a helicopter flying overhead - and the helicopter saw them. However, in a story now immortalized by news reports and social media outcry, this was not the end of the tribulation either.

Civilian pilot Jordan Seidhom had flown up to the disaster zone of his own volition with his helicopter looking for any way he could help. My father and stepmother were the first rescue he attempted that day. In these still-unpredictable conditions, Jordan was forced to tell the Coffeys that his helicopter could only hold one passenger - he would have to take Susan, then come back for Mike. In what was surely a difficult separation, my father agreed.

What happened next was shocking to anyone - but heart-wrenching for my dad. Jordan came back with his helicopter, one seat empty. When he landed, he barely knew how to tell Mike the news: local authorities had threatened Jordan with arrest for this 'unauthorized' rescue, and they promised to arrest him if he flew back to the shelter again with my dad. Jordan regretfully told my father that emergency crews would come get him - eventually. But he was now separated from his wife, cut off from all contact with the outside world, and he had to watch as this helicopter took off, flew away, and left my dad- alone.

When I heard this, I was in disbelief. When the local news heard it, they were in disbelief. We are grateful for the attention they brought to this matter, and we are grateful for the unimaginably difficult work that emergency services undertake in these disasters. But, to me, there has been no satisfactory explanation for why these authorities added more anguish to an already devastated community by separating families and threatening to arrest life-saving volunteers.

I thank God that, later that Sunday, emergency crews were able to locate my father using Jordan's directions. They cast ropes across the raging river, and risked their own lives to pull my dad back across. We are grateful for all the hard work and sacrifice made by those involved who did everything they could to help my family and their community.

Unfortunately, as too many know, this devastation in North Carolina will take years to repair, and both insurance companies and government agencies are bringing help too little and too slow. My father is a great man who was subjected to a harrowing experience beyond any challenge most of us ever face. He has consistently proven himself a man that many could rely on in times of our own crises. Now, he faces a seemingly insurmountable financial challenge just after surviving a harrowing natural disaster. Please, consider donating to prove that in 2024 we Americans can still be there for our neighbors when they lose everything.

This fundraiser was created by Christopher Coffey, son of Michael Coffey. Mike and Susan are staying in a cabin near Union Mills, NC while they assess their next steps. Any proceeds from this fundraiser will go toward replacing lost belongings, covering daily living expenses, and finding a new home.