A woman died in flood waters at Soddy Daisy on Wednesday despite the heroic efforts of three men who tried to rescue her. She was identified as Tina King Thorpe.
Alan Lewis, of Lewis Tree Service, said he and Raymond McKeel went to the Soddy Masonic Lodge to check on that building. He said they drove to the top of a hill at Back Valley Road and School Street around 10:30 a.m.
He said, "There was a lot of water there. It was terrible."
Mr. Lewis said they saw an older woman who was out with her small dog floating on her back in a rushing stream that had formed in a roadway.
He said Mr. Keel waded out to try to help the woman as she reached a chain link fence. He said a young man on the other side of the road also got in to help. He said he got on the phone with 911 and drove his large truck as close as he could to the fence.
Mr. Lewis said they held the woman up as long as they could - for some 8-10 minutes, but he said the water increased and they became exhausted and could hold her no longer.
He said Mr. McKeel, who was scratched and bruised, was so exhausted that he was close to going under himself. He said he was finally able to drag him from the flood water. The young man who helped was also able to get out.
Mr. Lewis said, "But the lady, we lost her."
He said fire and rescue arrived on the scene and were able to rescue a woman from a nearby flooded house.
Mr. Lewis said the woman who died apparently went outside after water began to gather inside her house.
Her body was recovered.
Mr. Lewis said a number of trees were down, including a very large one across a road and on top of a house nearby.