Wilson rescues neighbors during May flood

As waters rose quickly around the city, Nail's home on General Bate Drive near the Lipscomb campus became surrounded. Nail moved a family car to a nearby friend’s house only to return to rushing, waist-deep water in his driveway. As he began to feel overwhelmed, he spotted Lipscomb alum and staff member Jeff Wilson (’90) with several friends using a boat to rescue another neighbor.

 

“When I arrived at church that Sunday morning,” said Wilson, Lipscomb’s associate dean of students, “I had no idea what that day would bring for our city. A few people gathered in the church, wondering what direction we should take to check on our members.

 

“As our church elders began calling people, someone realized that an elderly member of our congregation who lived within walking distance needed assistance. The water had risen so high, we needed a boat to safely get her out of her home. Several friends helped me get a boat to her back porch and float her to my truck. As we helped her, another family called out for help from their front porch.”

 

Nail did not want to risk wading into the rushing water with his 11-month-old son, his wife Leigh Ann and his mother-in-law. He asked for assistance, but the group of rescuers realized that their boat was too small for the family and too unstable in the ever-increasing rushing flood waters. The group soon returned, however, with a motor boat that made two runs to rescue the Nail family. Two dogs and all family members made the boat trip to safety.

 

“We thanked the group repeatedly, and we very grateful that strangers were kind enough to help us in such an unpredictable situation. Furthermore, they came back to our house several days later to check that all was well. We are all very appreciative of the willingness of this group to assist others in times of need,” Nail said. “The water was just too swift for us to have walked out safely.”

More than 30 Tennessee counties were declared federal disaster areas, opening up federal funds to help in the recovery process. To date, 21 people have died and damage losses have reached more than $1.5 billion.