Hurricane Helene has left a path of destruction, taking the lives of at least 135 people, with the Carolinas suffering the most. One of the heartbreaking losses is that of 7-year-old Micah Drye and his grandparents, who lived in Asheville, North Carolina. The floodwaters swept them away as they tried to find safety on a rooftop.
Although Megan Drye, Micah’s mother, survived the disaster, she tragically lost both her son and her parents that day.
Megan’s sister, Jessica Drye Turner, shared the family’s sorrow on social media. She revealed Micah’s last words as the floodwaters rose around them: “Jesus! Please help me!”
Jessica wrote about the deep grief the family is feeling but also spoke about how they are holding onto their faith during this painful time. She wrote, “New grief and strong faith. New motto.”
Micah’s body was later found about a quarter mile away from where his mother, Megan, had been rescued. The storm had torn them apart, and their world changed forever.
In the aftermath of this tragic loss, another one of Megan’s sisters, Heather Kephart, created a GoFundMe page to help Megan rebuild her life after losing everything in the storm. On the page, there’s a photo of Micah, smiling in his favorite Jurassic World T-shirt. It was the last picture his grandmother took of him before the flood hit.
As people across the region start to pick up the pieces, the Drye family’s tragedy is just one of many caused by Hurricane Helene. But the strength of families like theirs will be crucial in the healing process as they face this unimaginable loss.
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