NC woman carries senior man to safety across flooded roadway

In a dramatic video streamed on Facebook, Wade can be seen carrying a senior man across a flooded roadway. The man had reportedly just gotten out of the hospital and could barely walk, when his vehicle was trapped in floodwaters on Madison Boulevard in Roxboro.

Wade and her family members were shopping at a local Walmart when the torrential rain began. They decided to stay inside and wait out the rain.

"We were stepping outside to see how bad it was flooded," said Trudy Bumphus, Wade's sister. She said they hadn't expected such bad floods. They noticed a van trapped in the floodwaters.

"We didn't know anyone was in the van, but then a little lady peeped out," said Carrie Downey, Wade's mother. "My daughter asked if she needed some help, and she said yeah. She said she couldn't swim."

The woman and her husband were on their way home from UNC Hospitals, from where the man had just been released. The elderly man was unable to walk very well. That's when Wade offered to carry him.

The video shows Wade carrying a man across the water, with several other women trekking out into the murky water – with their shoes off and pants rolled up – to assist with the rescue.

Wade said she was full of all kinds of emotions in the moment. She was happy she was helping. She was wondering why other bystanders weren't helping.

"I wouldn’t want my grandparents be out there stuck and nobody try to help them," she said.

She said she knew he was too tall to put over her back, so she decided to scoop him up.

Even as he got a little heavy towards the end, Wade said, "I wasn't going to let him down."

"Sherrelle is kind-hearted," said Downey, who said both of her daughters are the kind of women who help everyone they can. The kids, she said, are excited to see their aunt be a hero.

Fortunately, Wade had enough strength to lift the man through the waters; however, when asked how they would have helped if Wade hadn't been strong enough to lift him, Bumphus said, "We'd have joined in helping hands and each helped lift him."

"God put us there for a reason – to help. I give all the glory to Him that we did come around," said Downey.

Wade and Bumphus took the couple home, even helping them get into their house safely. The extra passengers meant there wasn't room for the rest of Wade's family, so they waited back at the flooded road until they could get home themselves.

Far from being sore or tired after her heroic rescue, Wade said she feels good.

"I feel good because I know I did a good job. I’d do it again if anyone else needed help," she said.