Once a hero, always a hero… even if they hung up their uniform years ago.
As Hurricane Florence pounded the coast of North and South Carolina, the streets filled with water so quickly that some residents found themselves stranded. With downed trees blocking their exit path, their circumstances looked incredibly bleak as they struggled to stay above water. Countess heroic rescuers risked their own lives to enter the flood zone and help get victims to safety, but one man brought something more than just heart to the table.
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Jason Weinmann is a retired United States Marine from New Bern, North Carolina. About ten years ago, Weinmann went to a government auction and purchased a troop transport vehicle. He figured he’d hang on to the vehicle just in case it ever became useful, and during Hurricane Florence, he knew now was the time to put it to good use.
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As the storm raged around him, the 47-year-old veteran drove around the flooded suburban neighborhoods, looking for people to save.
“That’s why I got this thing, to use in times like this.”
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CNN National Correspondent Ed Lavandera even caught a ride. He hid from the elements under the vehicle’s tarp as Weinmann drove the military vehicle into the dangerous floodwaters. Because the truck is so high off the ground and heavy, it is the perfect vehicle to drive during natural disasters.
“We’re underneath the tarp in the back of a military style high-water vehicle that’s being driven by a retired Marine who’s jumped into action here in New Bern,” reports @edlavaCNN from North Carolina.
Follow for live Hurricane Florence updates: https://t.co/mx42zP2T9W pic.twitter.com/ox05Cq1Pfm
— CNN Newsroom (@CNNnewsroom) September 14, 2018
Thank goodness for the heroic efforts of everyday heroes like Jason Weinmann. As long as people keep working together to overcome hardships like these, there’s no limit to what we can accomplish.
Please share this message to say thank you to the rescuers working to help the hurricane victims in the Carolinas.