Current:Home > InvestTennessee nurse and his dog die trying to save man from Hurricane Helene floods-InfoLens
Tennessee nurse and his dog die trying to save man from Hurricane Helene floods
View Date:2024-12-23 11:35:22
A northeastern Tennessee nurse and his dog died in flash floods from Hurricane Helene while trying to save someone, according to the man's employer.
Boone McCrary was a registered nurse at Greeneville Community Hospital, about 70 miles northeast of Knoxville, part of the Ballad Health system.
On Sept. 27, he was in a boat with his dog, a chocolate lab named Moss, trying to save someone else, the health system announced on Facebook.
McCrary, his dog and a female occupant launched a boat into the river just after 7 p.m. on Sept. 27 when the boat swept into the bridge and capsized, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency or TWRA confirmed to USA TODAY this week.
All three people in the boat fell into the water. The female occupant was rescued, but McCrary and his dog were swept downstream.
McCrary's body was recovered from a creek feeding into the Nolichucky River around 2 p.m. on Oct. 1, The boat and his dog's body were found Sunday, TWRA said.
"TWRA offers prayers and condolences to McCrary’s family and loved ones," the agency said in its statement. "The incident remains under investigation."
McCrary's family did not immediately respond to requests for comment but his sister, Laura McCrary Harville, shared that she's still in shock on Facebook.
"It's Tuesday," she wrote. "It's been a week since my brother, Boone, was found. I'm still in shock. It hasn't set in yet. I'm trying to just act normal until it does."
She encouraged community members to check in with themselves to make sure they are living lives they'll be proud of.
As of Saturday, at least 228 people have died due to Hurricane Helene's devastation across the southeastern U.S.
McCrary’s last TikTok video was shared on July 2. In the video, he’s on a boat and notes how some people wonder if he has a death wish.
"The truth is that I have a 'life wish,'" he captioned the video.
"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. Besides, who else gets to see these sunsets?"
Hospital community remembers nurse as 'ultimate caregiver'
When Ballad Health shared news about McCrary's death, the health system said he was “the ultimate caregiver who was kind and compassionate with a larger-than-life personality.”
He’d often sing to team members and patients to make them feel better and he loved music. McCrary also loved Moss, his dog, and the pair spent every second they could together, Ballad said in its dedication to him.
“We are committed to being there for each of our team members as we grieve and work through the challenging days ahead together,” the post read. Thank you for respecting the privacy of those affected as we navigate this tragedy.”
McCrary was a member of the Greene County Coon Club, TN Bear Hunters Association and was made an honorary member of the Camp Creek Volunteer Fire Department for his actions during the hurricane, his obituary said.
“The family wants to thank all of the volunteers, what we have affectionately nicknamed the Boone's Brigade, for your countless hours spent searching and praying,” the obituary said.
Survivor calls nurse his guardian angel
The man McCrary was attempting to rescue is David Boutin, according to a Facebook post and the Associated Press, and he attended McCrary's funeral Sunday.
“I got to thank you today brother,” Boutin wrote in the post, saying McCrary risked his life to save his. “May you rest in peace and continue to watch over us and help as you did while here.”
He called McCrary is his guardian angel.
Boutin also shared online that he is trying to rebuild and get back on his feet after the devastation of Hurricane Helene.
USA TODAY has reached out to Boutin for more information.
Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver and Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY
This story has been updated with new information.
Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].
veryGood! (98844)
Related
- Tua Tagovailoa tackle: Dolphins QB laughs off taking knee to head vs. Rams on 'MNF'
- Conyers fire: Shelter-in-place still in effect after chemical fire at pool cleaning plant
- West Virginia lawmakers delay taking up income tax cut and approve brain research funds
- Rebel Wilson and Ramona Agruma Make Debut as Married Couple During Paris Fashion Week
- Early Week 11 fantasy football rankings: 30 risers and fallers
- 8 in 10 menopausal women experience hot flashes. Here's what causes them.
- Many small businesses teeter as costs stay high while sales drop
- Breyers to pay $8.85 million to settle 'natural vanilla' ice cream dispute
- Fantasy football waiver wire: 10 players to add for NFL Week 11
- Starliner astronauts welcome Crew-9 team, and their ride home, to the space station
Ranking
- Queen Bey and Yale: The Ivy League university is set to offer a course on Beyoncé and her legacy
- Ariana Grande defends Ethan Slater, slams 'evil' tabloids for relationship coverage
- Plans to build green spaces aimed at tackling heat, flooding and blight
- Biden says Olympians represented ‘the very best of America’
- Charles Hanover: A Summary of the UK Stock Market in 2023
- Best tech gadgets for the fall: Gear up for the season with these new gadgets
- Queer women rule pop, at All Things Go and in the current cultural zeitgeist
- Best tech gadgets for the fall: Gear up for the season with these new gadgets
Recommendation
-
DWTS' Sasha Farber Claps Back at Diss From Jenn Tran's Ex Devin Strader
-
Drone video captures Helene's devastation in Asheville, North Carolina
-
Native Americans in Montana ask court for more in-person voting sites
-
Breyers to pay $8.85 million to settle 'natural vanilla' ice cream dispute
-
Women’s baseball players could soon have a league of their own again
-
USOPC leader Sarah Hirshland on Jordan Chiles appeal: 'She earned that medal'
-
Epic Games sues Google and Samsung over phone settings, accusing them of violating antitrust laws
-
Braves host Mets in doubleheader to determine last two NL playoff teams