There have been so many horrific stories of loss, destruction, and damage coming out of the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, particularly in the western part of North Carolina.
But there is good news coming out of the area, like the story of a loving father who trekked hours on foot through Helene’s destruction to be there for his daughter’s wedding.
Meet David Jones, who should win an award for father of the year.
According to a Fox News report, Jone was only expecting to make a two-hour drive from South Carolina to Johnson City, Tennessee, over the weekend to be at daughter Elizabeth Jones’ wedding, but he was detoured due to extreme flooding from Hurricane Helene.
David Jones strapped on his backpack, determined not to miss his daughter Elizabeth's wedding. It was 11 am on Saturday but what normally was a 2 hour drive on Interstate 26 wasn't possible due to the storm. He grabbed his backpack, shaving kit, underwear, socks and a… pic.twitter.com/UEgAelX3f3
— GoodNewsMovement (@GoodNewsMVT) October 1, 2024
Jones said in the report he was diverted multiple times while traveling on Interstate 26 when he finally crossed the state line into Tennessee around 2 a.m.
“Well, about seven hours into the trip, I was finally in Tennessee, and I got to exit 43 on Interstate 26 and the Temple Hill Road exit. I will always remember this exit,” Jones recalled.
Jones said he got out of his car to speak with the troopers and find out if there was an alternate route to get to Johnson City. The officer one the scene told him that it was the end of the road and that the roads were all washed out and impassable.
Jones said at that point the officer, who Jones called professional and praised all the officers for putting their lives on the line and for working 24-hour shifts and beyond to help save lives, said he could not let him through.
“‘You have to understand. My daughter’s getting married at 11 this morning, and I’m going to be there to walk her down the aisle,'” Jones said.
Jones grabbed his backpack and decided to walk, with only his cellphone light to guide him.
His two-hour commute to Tennessee turned into a seven-hour drive by car and nearly five and a half hours by foot.
“I just headed on down the road and encountered a lot of mud, a lot of debris, huge debris, fields, devastation. That is beyond my ability to even describe. And it was just absolutely horrible. And I feel so sorry for the people that live in that area and what they’re having to try and rebuild. It’ll be years before they can get everything back together,” Jones said.
To add another twist of fate to this story, a motorist, who Jones said he knew from a previous job, saw him walking along the roadway and drove him the last eight miles to his destination.
“There was a lot of God in this story, a lot more than I could probably even describe,” Jones said when his old friend picked him up. “But one of the things he said was, he was up early that morning. He couldn’t sleep. He didn’t know why. So, he got up, and he came over here to check on this one house to see if the power was back on. And so I know what it was that woke him up and kept him up. … That was the good Lord watching out for me, making sure I got to the church on time,” Jones said.
Jones added that even though the whole church was without power, they were able to light enough candles to illuminate the church; and despite the weather, all the guests who were planning to come to the wedding were able to attend.
David’s daughter and bride-to-be had no idea when her father showed up and everything he went through to make sure he was there on her wedding day until his speech during the reception.
“It was mind-blowing, my mind couldn’t really grasp what he was saying, and how could this even be actually possible and true?” Jones’ daughter told Fox News via phone.
“As it was sinking in, I was overwhelmed with gratitude that he was safe because of what a perilous journey he had taken. … I was just overwhelmed by the love that he showed by making this journey, making this effort to be at our wedding.”