A Florida man is being called a hero and an “angel” after rescuing over a dozen people during hurricane Helene while on his surfboard. The hurricane had made landfall on Indian Rocks Beach when Anne McIntosh’s house began to flood. “The beds were floating. The couch was floating. My brother and his wife were on the counters,” McIntosh told a local station. They were unable to open the doors to escape and began calling for help. McIntosh’s neighbor a couple blocks down, Marty Thomas, heard the screams and jumped onto his surfboard, paddling over to help the family. “I was walking around in the back unit just thinking, ‘what am I going to do?’ And all of a sudden I hear a voice, and he’s saying, ‘We’ll get you. We’ll get you.’ And it was Marty,” McIntosh recalled.

Thomas was able to get the door pried open with the help of a friend and rescue the three individuals. “He saved us. He got the door open. He paddled us across to safety. And just as an angel walking,” said McIntosh. But it was just the start of Thomas’s day. For the next four hours, with the help of a friend using a flashlight to guide him, Thomas went around the neighborhood helping rescue people from their homes and even some pets. Thomas recalled how he helped save a St. Bernard by throwing him out the window into the water. The dog was able to swim to the board for safety.

Despite his heroic actions, Thomas remained humble when interviewed about the rescues. Speaking with McIntosh by his side, he called her “tough.” “She didn’t even need my help. It was up to here on her,” he said, indicating chest high. “She was carrying stuff on her head.” McIntosh had chosen to stay because it had never flooded in the area before, a mistake she vows never to repeat again. “I’ve learned a good lesson. Thanks to my angel here. I have the choice. Next time, I will evacuate,” she said. She called Thomas an “angel walking” and “the hero of Indian Rocks Beach.” “Thank you. I appreciate that. You’re pretty awesome yourself,” Thomas responded to the praise.

To date, over 200 people have died along the southeast coast. Three casualties were reported in Indian Rocks Beach. Many people continue without power or access to necessary supplies while FEMA receives scrutiny over what is perceived as its slow response. You can find ways to help those impacted here.