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Early last Saturday, Matthew Crowder arrived for work at Texas Paintball in Jonestown, Texas, when he noticed floodwaters rising rapidly around a nearby home. Realizing the danger, he began yelling to wake the residents, the Eliashar family, whose home was soon overwhelmed by six feet of water. Crissy Eliashar, who was home with her three children and a family friend, heard his shouts and quickly began planning their escape.
Initially, the family tried to evacuate through the backyard, but it had already turned into a lake, so they waded toward Crowder, who was clinging to a fence. During the escape, Crissy’s daughter nearly got swept away, but her brother managed to grab her in time. Crowder himself was briefly knocked down by the water but recovered and helped guide the group to safety.
The family’s home was completely destroyed, and they lost all their belongings, but despite the devastation, Crissy is thankful for Crowder’s actions, saying, “I'm so grateful that he screamed and was able to wake us up and be that guide to safety for us.” Because of his intervention, everyone in the house, including their dogs and Crissy’s 75-year-old father, survived.
Source: PEOPLE