More details have emerged regarding a seven-year-old boy and his grandparents who were tragically swept away by floodwaters.
Hurricane Helene has been leaving a trail of destruction in its wake, with CNN reporting that 160 people have tragically lost their lives.
Asheville, North Carolina, has been hit with devastating floodwaters which has seen houses destroyed and residents sadly being killed.
Megan Drye, along with her parents and seven-year-old son Micah, were trapped at their home as torrential rain and high winds from the storm caused severe flooding.
The family sought refuge on the roof of their house in a desperate attempt to escape the rising waters.
According to reports, Megan, her parents - both in their 70s - and her young son climbed to the roof to avoid the floodwaters.
In a heart-wrenching post on Facebook, Megan's sister, Jessica Drye Turner, shared details of their ordeal, including photos of her loved ones stranded on the roof, watching helplessly as the disaster unfolded around them.
"Watching 18 wheelers and cars floating by" was part of the heartbreaking scene, Turner recounted on behalf of the family.
One of the photos showed Megan’s parents wrapped in blankets as they waited for help to arrive.
However, shortly after the picture was taken, tragedy struck. The house collapsed under the pressure of the floodwaters, sweeping away Megan’s parents and her son, Micah. Sadly, all three drowned.
Megan miraculously survived after becoming wedged in debris.
Speaking to Fox Weather, Megan has spoken out for the first time about her heartbreak, recalling that Micah called for Jesus to save them.
"He reached for something past flesh, past human, past anything that even grown adults, I think, would reach for," she said.
"My son called out to the one God Almighty. And I think at that moment he was rescued, and he became my hero, and I think all of them carried me through that moment."
Megan was left stranded in the water for three hours, eventually becoming entangled in roots and trees. She clung to the vegetation but says she felt a higher power guiding her to let go.
"In the midst of the chaos, all I heard was God telling me to be still and to stop fighting the water," she recounted. "That was Him, that was prayers. That was prayers that told me to be still and to let the water carry me to where I needed to be rescued."
After surrendering to the current, Megan was carried to a spot between two large branches that helped keep her afloat. A passerby eventually spotted her, and a rescue team arrived to provide aid.
Tragically, Micah’s body was later found about a quarter-mile from where his mother was rescued. Megan’s parents also did not survive the flood.
Reflecting on the loss of her son and parents, Megan shared the deep sorrow she is now living with.
"My grief today is unfathomable. I'm sorrowful. I feel broken," she said. "But what is the main thing that I take away from grief is the uplifting of all the prayers that I have received."
Jessica Drye Turner added further details: "The roof did not collapse, the house did. Mama was clinging onto Micah and Daddy was struggling to hold onto Megan. He kept panicking and pushing her under. She had hold of a tree and was trying to hold on to him. The water took him.
"We believe Micah, mama and daddy waited until Megan was rescued before being received into the hands of Christ," Jessica wrote.
She added: "The waters have receded and there is nothing left standing except my dad’s law firm sign. And we've chuckled at that [because] he was so proud of that sign."
A GoFundMe page has been set up in order to help Megan and her family during this difficult time.
