Elderly Couple Rescued from Floodwaters After Harrowing Ordeal

In September 2024, Hurricane Helene struck the southern United States, causing widespread destruction. One of the hardest-hit areas was Marion, North Carolina, where Lois and Kenneth Hawkins, an elderly couple, found themselves trapped in their home as floodwaters rose rapidly around them.

The Hawkins had been told to evacuate ahead of the storm, but they stayed behind because Kenneth was in poor health and they were worried about their 19-year-old cat, Lulu. As the waters continued to rise, the couple resigned themselves to the fact that they might not survive. "We had decided we weren't going to make it and we were talking to God like he was sitting there with us," Lois recalls.

Just when all hope seemed lost, the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Swift Water Team arrived on the scene. Led by Sgt. Tim Godwin, the team had already rescued two other people when they heard Lois banging on the window. They were able to reach the Hawkins' home and pull the couple to safety, with Lois clinging tightly to Godwin's neck.

Though the Hawkins made it out alive, they lost almost everything, including their home. However, in the year since the disaster, volunteers with Baptists on Mission have worked to rebuild the Hawkins' residence in the exact same spot. In July 2025, the couple was given the keys to their new home in a ceremony that also reunited them with the rescue team that saved their lives.