Couple reunited after volunteer rescue pilot threatened with arrest in North Carolina

LAKE LURE, N.C. (WJZY) — For a divided second, it sounded similar thunder. Mike and Susan Coffey were sitting successful silence, trying to fig retired what was happening extracurricular their Lake Lure location arsenic the winds and rainfall from Hurricane Helene hammered the North Carolina mountains.

The Coffeys and their feline were the lone 2 surviving beings wrong their mountainside location that sits on the Broad River.

In the adjacent split-second, they some knew the sounds beneath them weren't coming from the heavens. They didn't cognize it then, but they were proceeding millions of gallons of flood waters, raining down hellhole on the river's way done Lake Lure.

“We started to perceive a batch of noise," Susan said, recounting the infinitesimal to Nexstar's WJZY. "Rumbling. Rumbling – wasn't thunder. What's this weird rumbling?"

"Trees, falling rocks… truthful it got a small spot frightening astatine that point," Mike said. “We said we'd amended get to higher ground, conscionable successful case. So, we grabbed the cat, a mates bottles of water, a container of chips; similar we were truly thinking. And got successful our cars and drove up the driveway, which was astir apt 30 feet higher and parked successful the cul-de-sac and parked our cars against the mountainside."

From immoderate 80 feet supra the river, the Coffeys watched the world that held their mountainside location vanish arsenic everything they had washed distant with the raging flood waters below.

"We watched our location go," Mike told WJZY's Chief Investigator Jody Barr successful an interrogation connected Oct. 3. "The cliff conscionable dropped that full broadside of the road, the cliff conscionable dropped off. All of the trees and ungraded and everything other conscionable started collapsing. We saw the location adjacent to america wherever its backmost platform went implicit and it was hanging for a while. About 2 hours later, that location went."

"Another location down the thoroughfare from us, truthful we conscionable benignant of watched that full country descent down and into the river."

The Coffeys thought they — and the portion of asphalt near beneath their cars — mightiness spell next. They could spot the flood waters chipping distant astatine the mountainside. Within a fewer yards of eroding the remainder of the roadworthy and the cul-de-sac retired from nether them, it each conscionable stopped.

The mates spent Thursday nighttime successful their car. There was nary request to inquire however overmuch they slept that nighttime since 1 could ideate it apt wasn't much.

Once the tempest passed, the Friday greeting prima revealed a caller world. Very small of the beingness they built connected that mountainside was there. The mates knew they were successful trouble.

The nutrient and h2o they had wrong the location were determination downriver.

“Luckily, the location adjacent doorway was nether operation truthful they had near immoderate instrumentality and determination was a pickup motortruck that was parked there. I saw a cooler successful the backmost successful the cab and truthful I opened it up, and determination was h2o and a happening of cranberry foodstuff and immoderate Mountain Dew that helium wouldn’t drink," Susan Coffey joked arsenic she turned to her hubby during Thursday's video call. "There was immoderate brew like, well, that would beryllium dehydrating. I don't privation that, but if we're desperate, well, we'll instrumentality it. So, it conscionable gave america a lifeline for different time that we knew we had immoderate h2o to person truthful that was conscionable specified a blessing. It was a alleviation to find that."

But it didn't last.

"Friday night, we had nary water," Susan said. "We had murphy chips, which were besides dehydrating and that was a large pick. But by the adjacent morning, we were starting to get disquieted again astir what we would person to beryllium capable to drink."

Friday nighttime was different nighttime spent successful their car. Luckily, Susan said, they had filled their car with state and could complaint their phones. The occupation was that compartment work successful the storm's way was intolerable to reach.

"We did find immoderate compartment service, and called a person to fto them cognize truthful they could telephone exigency services and fto them cognize our location," Susan recalled. "We started to spot helicopters spell over. So, each clip we heard a copter, we'd conscionable tally retired and commencement waving. There was a large heap of rocks astatine the location adjacent door. So, we did a large S.O.S. motion successful the cul-de-sac with the rocks and conscionable [tried] astatine the infinitesimal to enactment affirmative and not interest excessively much."

The brace had a spot of anticipation connected Saturday erstwhile they said 2 Lake Lure Fire Department unit hiked successful from crossed the upland to archer the Coffeys they'd beryllium rescued by a helicopter. A chopper — the mates said it appeared to beryllium the National Guard — came backmost aboriginal that day, but couldn't get to them.

"It was excessively big, and it conscionable had nary place, harmless spot to land. So, past they said they'd person to airlift america retired and we conscionable didn't cognize erstwhile that would be,” Susan said.

"So they gave america immoderate anticipation there, right? So we thought we were going to get retired Saturday and then, you know, conscionable kept watching helicopters alert overhead a lot," Mike told WJZY.

"Every clip we heard a 'copter, we would tally retired there: 'Is this it? Is this it?' No, spell backmost to the car," Susan said. "So, yeah, we were ... we were alert, conscionable ever – the adrenaline is conscionable truthful high, you're conscionable truthful connected alert. We were told you don't miss it, you don't privation to miss it. But past erstwhile it started to get dark, and we realized they were not going to bash chopper rescues successful the dark. So, we had different nighttime there."

Emergency unit looked "very, precise annoyed"

"I don't deliberation we ever ran retired of hope. We had each other, and that was the main thing,” Mike Coffey said erstwhile asked if they started to judge assistance wouldn't travel by the 3rd time aft aggregate helicopters had flown implicit without stopping.

"Sometimes you get a small frightened and past you conscionable enactment successful the infinitesimal and not interest excessively much. And we knew that radical knew wherever we were, truthful worst case, we were going to aquatics ourselves, effort and transverse the stream ourselves," Susan said. "We knew we could past truthful agelong without nutrient oregon water, we'll beryllium okay. Like I said, we had the Mountain Dew arsenic backup," she joked.

Not agelong aft the prima roseate Sunday morning, they heard the saccharine dependable of chopper blades ripping done the air.

"And past we saw this tiny achromatic chopper alert and we were waving astatine it and it stopped," Susan said, "It circled implicit us. And so, I thought, oh, possibly the National Guard sent a smaller chopper to get america due to the fact that they knew their large ones were conscionable weren't bully for that area.”

But, it wasn't a authorities idiosyncratic coming to their aid, it was Jordan Seidhom, the proprietor of a scrap alloy recycling concern successful Pageland, South Carolina. He's besides a pilot, erstwhile caput of the Chesterfield County cause unit, reserve instrumentality enforcement officer, and unpaid firefighter — among different jobs.

He decided the time aft the tempest to usage his ain chopper connected his ain dime to reply the cries for assistance helium work connected societal media wrong hours of the tempest passing.

Seidhom and his 1,400 formation hours decided to load his son, a inferior successful precocious schoolhouse and a unpaid fireman successful Pageland, into their chopper to alert into the catastrophe portion to present nutrient and water. Along the mode connected Saturday, they happened to pluck 4 radical disconnected a mountainside.

Seidhom, a seasoned pilot, said determination were nary formation restrictions anyplace adjacent Lake Lure erstwhile helium decided to alert determination connected Saturday and Sunday. The Federal Aviation Administration issues formation restrictions and station those to integer flight-mapping bundle accessible to pilots each crossed the country.

Then connected Sunday, the Seidhoms spotted Susan Coffey frantically waving for help.

"So erstwhile this chopper really landed conscionable astatine the precise extremity of the driveway wherever it had fallen off, they're capable to onshore it astatine the precise extremity of the driveway, a small spot connected the road, we were conscionable amazed," Susan said, initially reasoning it would beryllium different failed ngo to prevention them.

Seidhom landed his chopper adjacent the borderline of the cliff and hopped retired to talk with the Coffeys. Because helium didn't privation to spot excessively overmuch value connected the unstable ground, Seidhom said helium told the Coffeys he'd instrumentality them 1 by 1 to a adjacent bid station helium spotted astir 3 minutes away.

Seidhom loaded Susan into the chopper and asked his lad to enactment with Mike arsenic helium delivered the mates to safety. Seidhom lifted disconnected and flew Mrs. Coffey to the Lake Lure Fire Department station conscionable downriver.

"He recovered a harmless spot to land, connected a thoroughfare that was successful beforehand of a clump of immoderate firemen, policemen, and immoderate National Guardsmen. So we land, and I get retired of the helicopter, and I spell towards them," Susan said, "And they're conscionable lasting determination looking precise huffy and precise annoyed. And said, 'Who are you?" And I didn't recognize [Seidhom] had conscionable taken it upon himself, followed his bosom to travel assistance rescue people. And connection is truthful down, it's hard to cognize who to fto cognize that helium has this escaped airspace, that helium tin spell bash this.”

Seidhom was explaining who helium was to the archetypal responders, and said helium was archetypal greeted by 2 leaders of a occurrence section retired of Michigan. Those men, Seidhom said, were welcoming and gave him vigor frequencies to pass with them and began mounting up a landing portion truthful helium could proceed delivering radical to the post.

But, Seidhom told WJZY that Lake Lure Fire and Emergency Management Asst. Chief Chris Melton jumped into the mix, ordering him retired of the country and threatened to person him arrested if helium didn't go.

Susan Coffey witnessed immoderate of the exchange: "[Seidhom] was telling them who helium was and what helium was doing, and they conscionable were not happy. They weren't blessed astir it. And [Melton] said, this is our mission, this is our operation, we can't conscionable person you flying successful and out. Jordan was telling them, 'Well, I can't conscionable permission her husband, I don't privation to abstracted a family. So, if you conscionable fto maine spell backmost and get her hubby and past I'll bring him here, past I'll instrumentality my son. Then we'll go,'" she recalled.

“I thought, that's reasonable, it saves the National Guard a trip," Susan said. "You know, 1 little idiosyncratic they person to save."

She didn't perceive and didn't cognize that Melton had threatened Seidhom with apprehension if helium didn't leave.

“I'm going backmost and get my copilot," Seidhom recalled telling Melton, "He said, 'If you crook astir and spell backmost up the mountain, you're going to beryllium arrested.' I said, 'Well, sir, I'm going to get my copilot. I don't cognize what to archer you.' And helium said, 'I'm letting you know,'" Seidhom said.

"At that point, helium waved for 2 instrumentality enforcement officers to travel implicit and told maine that, again, if I spell backmost up the mountain, I volition beryllium arrested," Seidhom said, "There was a speech earlier I near again, conscionable trying to de-escalate the concern and talk with him and say, 'Hey, you know, I'm close here. I've already brought 1 idiosyncratic down and I'm consenting to help. Can I delight spell backmost and get this different victim?' And his effect was just, 'you request to permission the area.'"

"And helium conscionable would not let maine to bash it," Seidhom recalled. "As I was really leaving to spell backmost to get my son, the archetypal main oregon skipper (Michigan crew) that I spoke to his unit and himself, they came backmost implicit and said, 'Hey, man, we can't archer you to spell get the victim. We can't adjacent inquire you to spell get the victim, but we tin archer you if you travel backmost with the victim, we'll person you a designated landing spot and we'll marque definite they don't travel implicit here.'"

Believing Melton was intent connected having him hauled disconnected to jail, Seidhom decided to get his lad retired of determination and regroup different day.

When Seidhom lifted disconnected from the bid post, helium went backmost to the mountainside to get his lad and informed Mr. Coffey helium would not beryllium capable to prevention him.

"When I got to the door, helium said, 'I americium truthful sorry, but I'm told if I bring you backmost that I'm going to beryllium arrested and I can't instrumentality you backmost with me. And successful fact, I was told I couldn't travel get my co-pilot, my son, and I conscionable told him I'm not going to permission my lad here,'" Mike Coffey recalled of the speech with the aviator from Pageland. "He said, 'I americium truthful sorry. I don't cognize what to archer you, but I request to instrumentality my lad and we're going to leave."

"'They've told maine they're alert of wherever you are and you volition beryllium rescued,' and helium took off," Coffey recounted.

"He takes off, I had nary thought wherever my woman was. I couldn't comprehend what was going on. Like, however did this marque sense?" Mr. Coffey told WJZY. "And when, if ever, I was going to beryllium reunited with her, however agelong it would instrumentality for immoderate different rescue unit to get backmost to me. So that was the astir stressful portion of the full experience. I tin ticker my location go. I tin ticker our neighbors’ houses go.

"We were together, right? And we knew each different was safe. And erstwhile helium left, that, that thought close conscionable benignant of disappeared, similar okay, I don't cognize what's going to hap from here."

Mike decided to act. He took their feline bearer and his machine container down the broadside of the cliff and spotted a rescue unit crossed the river.

"I was waving them down and I was capable to get down the banks to our broadside of the stream wherever I could astatine slightest outcry and pass crossed the river, saying, 'Do you person my wife? Do you cognize wherever my woman is?' And they were giving maine the thumbs up,” Mike said.

Instead of the three-minute chopper thrust to safety, Mike Coffey was present faced with having to transverse the raging river, afloat of tempest debris, mud, and who knows what else.

It was a rescue effort that would instrumentality the adjacent hr of his life.

"This was a unit retired of Michigan, and they were great. There were, I think, 3 of them and a feline from Chimney Rock who swam, 1 of them swam crossed the stream with a rope. And the precise archetypal happening helium said to maine was, 'Are you okay? Are you Mike Coffey? We've got your wife, truthful she's safe.'”

Coffey said 1 of the rescuers took his feline bearer and different got his machine container and done a bid of ropes, the radical crossed the river.

"Those guys also, they came down from Michigan. They don't cognize america from anybody. They were consenting to enactment their lives connected the line. They're besides heroes successful that story,” Coffey said. Once across, Coffey was loaded into a shuttle autobus and taken to a adjacent shelter.

It would instrumentality a fewer hours earlier the Coffeys recovered 1 different again.

Susan Coffey was inactive waiting astatine the bid post, watching shuttle buses pass. One yet stopped.

"When the autobus came backmost to get maine and past I spot the doors unfastened and Mike's caput sticks out, oh, my God. I was truthful relieved that helium was picked up and that we were backmost together," Susan said, "It's 1 of those things; we met successful the parking lot. We're hugging and crying, conscionable truthful relieved to person recovered each different again.”

Seidhom inactive regrets not finishing the occupation connected that mountainside that day.

“I'm sorry, if I had to bash it implicit again, I would person stopped and I would person rescued arsenic galore radical until they decided they were going to apprehension me," Seidhom told WJZY the time aft the threat.

"He got my woman and astatine his ain cost, astatine a hazard to himself," Mike Coffey told WJZY. "He was the 1 idiosyncratic who really stopped to assistance conscionable due to the fact that helium could. I mean, helium got successful his chopper and flew up determination conscionable due to the fact that helium knew helium could marque a quality to someone, and helium did. He’s a hero.”

"I'm definite everyone's stressed successful that scenario, but helium was pursuing his bosom and doing the close thing," Mike said. "And possibly determination were rules that idiosyncratic would similar to enforce bid connected the chaos, but the bottommost enactment is getting those radical retired of there. And adjacent if I had ne'er been rescued, knowing that she was harmless due to the fact that helium did what helium did would person been enough. So, convey you, Jordan. Thank you."

Melton won't talk with WJZY, but makes appearance

WJZY spent astir 4 days waiting for Assistant Fire Chief Melton to respond to aggregate attempts to petition an interrogation with him, hoping to perceive his broadside and his reasons for ordering Seidhom retired of Lake Lure — and whether helium would person carried retired his menace to person the unpaid aviator arrested successful the mediate of an progressive rescue mission.

But Melton ne'er responded, adjacent aft the town's media contact, Laura Krejci, responded to a Facebook connection confirming Melton received WJZY's petition to talk with him a fewer days earlier. Still, knowing Melton was apt actively progressive successful the efforts determination and knowing connection lines were perchance unavailable, WJZY did not people Melton's identity.

By Thursday, WJZY was acceptable to people this follow-up study and informed the municipality a last petition to talk with Melton earlier publishing had been made. Krejci responded, telling WJZY she would marque Lake Lure Town Manager Olivia Stewman disposable for an interview.

On Thursday, conscionable past 2:30 p.m., Stewman and Barr met via video league for an interview. Chris Melton has inactive not responded to immoderate of WJZY's messages.

Although helium was not disposable to interview, a antheral who appeared to beryllium Melton opened the doorway to the country wherever Stewman was participating successful the interview. An unidentified idiosyncratic disconnected camera frantically waved to the antheral to leave. The man's look is disposable successful the inheritance of the video league video recording.

Here's a partial transcript of the interrogation of the speech betwixt WJZY's Barr and Lake Lure's Stewman:

BARR: “What happened successful that incident?”

STEWMAN: “The idiosyncratic craft that landed was not lone unauthorized but also, they provided nary notification that they were coming. And that did airs a imaginable hazard to ongoing operations with hunt and rescue. And then, you know, besides conscionable wasn't harmless for them to beryllium determination arsenic regular citizens, particularly since we didn't cognize who they were oregon what they were doing there. We had aggregate national, section and authorities resources. That includes the National Guard, NCHART (North Carolina Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team), SCHART, we had the Coast Guard, authorities troopers, and past determination whitethorn person been more, arsenic well. So, they were completing their operations. And you know, successful bid to bash that there, they were not authorizing backstage craft astatine that time. Any craft that would person – that should person gone done determination should person gone done incidental bid arsenic well. I conscionable wanted to enactment that.”

BARR: "The FAA website shows that determination was nary formation regularisation successful the country astatine that time. Do you hold with that?”

STEWMAN: “I'm not definite of that. I'm sorry. But it was FAA’s eventual telephone to not let that – not to let backstage craft into that area.”

BARR: “In the days aft the storm, done that Sunday morning, determination was nary restricted airspace successful Lake Lure. The FAA did enforce a impermanent formation regularisation aft this brushwood betwixt Mr. Seidhom and the adjunct occurrence chief, Melton. You each inactive contend contiguous that nary 1 should person been successful that country trying to prevention these radical who had been stranded for 2 days, headed into time two, adjacent to time three?”

NOTE: Within 30 minutes of Jordan Seidhom, the FAA issued a Temporary Flight Restriction for the country adjacent Lake Lure. The FAA confirmed successful an Oct. 3, 2024, email to Barr that nary TFR was issued anyplace successful the NC catastrophe portion before.

STEWMAN: “Correct. If anything, they should person astatine slightest notified Incident Command who would person authorized them oregon not authorized them to beryllium successful that area.”

BARR: "Do you cognize whether Mr. Seidhom spoke with the radical successful complaint astatine the Rutherford Airport? The airdrome did not person powerfulness astatine the time, but the airdrome told Mr. Seidhom if helium was going to behaviour unpaid hunt and rescue operations, those were the lone craft they were fueling and they sold Mr. Seidhom substance to spell successful and sold him substance to travel backmost nether that condition?”

STEWMAN: “I’m unaware of that.”

BARR: “Unaware of that?”

STEWMAN: “Yep.”

BARR: “Would that not beryllium an effort to coordinate and communicate?”

STEWMAN: "If that was coordinated, past it was not relayed to us. I volition accidental that.”

BARR: "Was determination a mode to relay that to you each with the communications successful the signifier they were successful astatine that time?”

STEWMAN: “Communications person been tough. I cognize you're alert of that. Rutherford County EM (Emergency Management) has been communicating with america arsenic champion they tin done radios astatine that time, we were inactive struggling much with the service, but they were communicating with radio. So, you know, we didn't get thing implicit the vigor that I'm alert of that indicated that.”

BARR: “If idiosyncratic were to alert into an airport, pass with the radical successful charge, was sold substance nether the information that helium was determination to bash unpaid a hunt and rescue, and past helium proceeded to onshore wherever helium saw what helium believed to beryllium a bid halfway and speech to radical successful complaint there, would that not yet beryllium different effort to coordinate and pass with the with the rescue efforts connected the crushed to fto them cognize wherefore he's determination and what helium was doing?”

STEWMAN: “Again, that should person gone done the concatenation of bid astatine incidental command.”

BARR: “Was that published anywhere? If idiosyncratic were looking for incidental command, wherever would they person recovered that information?”

STEWMAN: “I’m unaware of that.”

BARR: "Do you deliberation that your radical connected the crushed successful Lake Lure did what they should person done erstwhile they handled this flooding unfortunate that was delivered to them successful the brushwood betwixt Assistant Chief Melton and this backstage pilot?”

STEWMAN: “Yes, sir. They were doing what they were expected to bash astatine that time. And, you know, I can't talk highly capable of Mr. Melton and each of our exigency unit that's present close now. They've been retired present for days connected end, putting their lives connected the enactment to prevention people. And, you know, they were doing their job.”

BARR: “Less than 24 hours later, backstage pilots were being asked to instrumentality to that country to bash what Mr. Seidhom was doing astatine that time. Do you spot however the nationalist whitethorn look astatine that and go, well, that's a small perplexing? Just earlier helium was severely endangering rescue efforts and then, you know, little than a time later, they're being begged to travel backmost and help?"

STEWMAN: “Well, I tin lone ideate that they went done the close concatenation of bid to beryllium authorized to travel here.”

BARR: “What was the information posed successful what Mr. Seidhom did, the circumstantial information that day?”

STEWMAN: “Well, it interrupted operations of the radical who were determination from national, state, and section resources, one. And two, downtown Chimney Rock is successful disarray close now. For idiosyncratic who's not trained, not adequately, adequately trained successful exigency operations, you know, particularly astatine that time, they should not person been successful that location.”

BARR: “Well, conscionable immoderate hours later, helium was backmost successful the country and the region welcomed him successful to bash precisely what helium did conscionable the time before. Do you deliberation his grooming was importantly improved overnight?”

STEWMAN: “I deliberation that it's not that we're turning distant assistance oregon volunteerism astatine all. Once again, we conscionable request to spell done the close steps to bash that. So we're aware, the authorities is aware, the region is aware, and the Town of Lake Lure, and the Village of Chimney Rock is alert of what's going on. That was not the lawsuit initially.”

[ZOOM QUALITY BREAKS UP]

BARR: “Lake Lure’s presumption present is that due to the fact that Mr. Seidhom did not spell done immoderate unpublished transmission helium was expected to spell through, that helium should person possibly guessed the close mode to bash this, adjacent though that close mode to bash this was obscurity to beryllium recovered astatine that time?”

STEWMAN: “Again, we were listening to the FAA's direction, and astatine that time, that is what we were told, that determination was nary unit oregon craft unless they went done the close steps. And we are not alert that this idiosyncratic did that.”

BARR: “Does the municipality recognize that the mode the FAA communicates with pilots is done restricting airspace and publishing that connected the FAA website?”

STEWMAN: “I'm not sure, sir.”

BARR: “And determination was nary TFR until the brushwood betwixt your adjunct occurrence main and Mr. Seidhom.”

STEWMAN: “Okay.”

BARR: “The last question I have, the municipality of Lake Lure has nary regrets astir however Mr. oregon Mrs. Coffey were treated that time erstwhile a aviator showed up to assistance prevention their lives connected the broadside of that upland successful Lake Lure?”

STEWMAN: “No, I privation to reiterate again that our personnel, our nationalist information personnel, were doing what they were instructed to bash astatine that time. They were doing their jobs, trying to prevention lives and they person been retired determination doing that since – I mean, they're doing that each the time. But, you know, retired successful this information is worse than usual. And they're continuing to bash that. We enactment them afloat and we're going to proceed to enactment them.”

STEWMAN: “We truly conscionable request immoderate support, compassion, knowing and patience. That's truly what we request from radical close now, particularly successful this pugnacious situation. You know, this is making it worse and, you know, we're conscionable asking that radical person immoderate compassion and consideration.”

BARR: “Are you each welcoming those backstage chopper pilots who person delivered nutrient and h2o and aesculapian supplies and are helping rescue quality lives from the mountains astir Lake Lure? You guys welcoming them now?”

STEWMAN: “That would request to spell done the Rutherford County Emergency Management oregon the authorities Emergency Management.”

BARR: “I'm asking you arsenic an official, the person of Lake Lure, North Carolina, are you present welcoming those backstage helicopters successful your community?”

STEWMAN: “Yes. If they spell done the indispensable channels.”

Despite rumors published to societal media channels connected Friday, Asst. Chief Chris Melton was not terminated by the Town of Lake Lure. In a follow-up substance aft the interview, Barr asked whether the rumors were existent and Stewman replied that Melton is inactive employed with the town.