Elderly Houston couple taken to safety on Jet Ski
Residents of Houston have been rescued by helicopter, boat and now by Jet Ski.
An elderly couple was rescued from their home earlier this week by a man on a Jet Ski after the pair was forced to stay on the second floor of their house for a few days as water levels rose as a result of hurricane Harvey. An ABC news report on Wednesday identified the rescuers as Keith Christensen and Winston Savice Jr., and showed footage of the Spencers reuniting with the men and thanking them.
Aphoto posted to Reddit shows Karen Spencer half way out her front door looking back at the camera smiling and sitting on the back of the Jet Ski, the floodwater filling up the house around her.
The photo, which has been viewed about 768,000 times and received hundreds of comments, was taken by Spencer’s husband, J.C., their granddaughter Ivy James told the Star.
J.C. told ABC News they called their local Chick-fil-A, where they are regulars, and ordered a boat along with their favourite food.
“I ordered two grilled chicken burritos with extra egg and a boat. And can you believe that one of the managers of Chick-fil-A, she sent her husband to pick us up and we are so grateful,” J.C. said to ABC News.
He said the managers sent two separate jet skis for them.
“I can’t believe I’m leaving my flooded house in a Jet Ski,” Spencer told ABC, adding that the couple had abandoned most of their belongings.
James said her grandparents had weathered the flood upstairs and “couldn’t do very much” as the water kept rising.
The hurricane has forced thousands of people to flee to higher ground and rooftops in and around Houston.
Authorities have confirmed more than 20 deaths, including six members of a single family, including four children, who were found dead in a submerged van after their vehicle was apparently swept off a bridge.
Thanks to the help of the man on the Jet Ski, the Spencer’s are now safe and staying at a friend’s apartment.