By Shannon McFarlin WENK/WTPR News Director
Lumberton, N.C.—Remember that photo of vehicles submerged in water on I-95 in Lumberton, North Carolina, due to Hurricane Florence?
Michael Raymer and Jason Corbitt of Paris have been right there. And Michael Raymer actually was involved in a rescue on that flooded Interstate. Both Raymer and Corbitt left separately for the Hurricane Zone late last week and caught up with the Cajun Navy which is performing daily rescues in that area.
Raymer and Corbitt are experienced in rescues. Raymer is a long-time member of the Henry County Rescue Squad and Corbitt is a new member of the Henry County Rescue Squad. Corbitt was in the Hurricane Zone for several days, but left for home yesterday to attend training that had already been scheduled.
Raymer right now is stranded in Lumberton due to the levee breach of the Lumber River yesterday, but he is continuing to perform rescues by water and boat.
Raymer said he felt a calling to go to the Hurricane Zone and has been there since last week. His wife, Traci, said he told her he “felt like he was needed”.
Speaking by phone from Lumberton Monday afternoon, Raymer said he has been involved in 10 rescues by foot and water. “That includes rescues of people and animals,” he said. He said before Corbitt left for home he had been involved in several rescues, including pulling a young lady out of a car that was submerged.
An already bad situation there keeps worsening and the death toll now has risen to 23, with 17 of those occurring in North Carolina.
Raymer said his boat trailer was torn up and that is leaving him stranded temporarily. “I’ll stay here as long as there is a need,” he said.
Raymer had to hurry off the telephone as dispatch sent word that a woman was having a heart attack and he had to leave for the emergency.
As we reported earlier, other local people working in the Hurricane Zone include county health nurses from Henry and Benton County Health Departments. They are Jennifer Cook from Henry County and Kristie Threet from the Benton Co. Health Department.
Air Evac’s team from Mayfield also has been deployed and they are still there.
Photos by Mike Raymer.
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