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Metro Atlanta man details 'survival story' stranded in North Carolina during Helene

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Published  October 1, 2024 11:38pm EDT
North Carolina
FOX 5 Atlanta

Atlanta man stranded in NC after Helene

A metro Atlanta man shares his firsthand account of the devastation Hurricane Helene left behind in North Carolina where he was stranded for several day. He credits his wife and a higher power with helping him get home safely.

In brief:

    • Kyle Vargas was stranded in North Carolina post-Hurricane Helene, emotionally recounting the devastation.
    • Vargas, on a work trip, was trapped by storm damage and impassable roads.
    • He hiked 13 miles on foot with his brother due to concerns for his wife in Atlanta.
    • Strangers helped during their trek, and Vargas felt divine help reunited him with his wife.
    • The experience bolstered Vargas's faith despite the lack of GPS or technology.

ATLANTA - A metro Atlanta man shared his firsthand account of the devastation Hurricane Helene left behind in North Carolina where he says he was stranded for several days. 

McDonough resident Kyle Vargas became emotional Tuesday evening as he recalled braving the elements after Helene decimated the state last Friday. 

"Just to look around and see trees everywhere and cars in sinkholes and stuff smashed…like I never seen anything like that before," he said. "Man, I could cry right now…He just always showing me He got me," he told FOX 5. 

Vargas says he and his brother were in Ashland, North Carolina on a work trip a few days before the hurricane. 

It was a trip he’d soon never forget as the deadly storm left catastrophic damage in its path. 

"We didn’t think the storm was going to cause as much damage as it caused on the mountain that it did," he explained. 

Downed trees on the mountain made it impossible to get down by car. 

"Basically, we were trapped…we were stuck," Vargas stated. 

After a day of being stranded, he says concerns about his wife back in Atlanta prompted them to take off on foot Saturday morning with the hope of getting back home. 

The trek lasted hours and Vargas says there was little to no phone service. He took videos documenting the experience.  

"We walked about 13 miles climbing over trees, walking through the mud that slid down on the road from the landslides, we had to rinse our feet off in a river," he explained. 

Vargas says a number of strangers offered them rides along the way and it was God who helped him find his wife after she’d driven up to look for him. 

"I knew God was just sending people our way," he said. 

He told FOX 5 he was grateful that, even without GPS, they managed to get back home. 

"All it did was increase my faith in God," Vargas added.