Good Samaritans reunite with kids they rescued from flood
VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas - A group of rescuers reunited for the first time since saving two young children and their parents from rushing waters during Saturday's severe storms that caused a tornado outbreak in East Texas.
The family was driving to a shelter when their truck hydroplaned and flipped over, landing in a ditch. Cell phone video showed a group of strangers working together to pry the overturned truck's door open and start CPR on a 1-year-old girl and her infant brother.
There's still a lot of work to do in Van Zandt County cleaning up damaged homes and businesses from last weekend's storms. But there is some cause for celebration for at least one family who is counting their blessings and thanking a group of Good Samaritans for saving their childrens’ lives.
The two little miracles are 5-month old Marshal and 1-year-old Addyson Ocheltree. The two kids brought together a group of people who worked to save them when storms ripped through Van Zandt County Saturday night.Zandt County Saturday night.
The kids were traveling with their parents and were trying to drive away from the tornadoes when their truck hydroplaned and flipped over, leaving them underwater.
Dustin Neely was one of the Good Samaritans who used some of his tools to help pry the truck's door open and get Marshall out first.
“Then, I carried him up and handed him to somebody else to finish getting out of the water,” he said.
Thomas Mitchell was behind the camera recording. The video goes black when he puts the phone away to help.
“I was standing next to them, and I started CPR on the baby,” he said.
Virginia Howard could be heard off camera praying.
“I was praying hard,” she said. “I was asking the Lord to give them breath. Breathe in them, Lord.”
The group performed CPR until the babies responded.
Addyson spent 6 days in ICU. Her little brother was in the hospital for two days. Now, the whole family is back home and doing well.
“It's an amazing feeling having everyone here who was there to save them,” said Emily, Addyson’s mom. “For them to be able to meet who they saved and risked their lives to save, it's awesome.”
“There was no concern about I'm Spanish, I'm white, you're black. We were able to do it,” Mitchell said.
The family says they plan to keep in touch with every one involving their children's rescue and keep them updated on how their kids are doing.