Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck

When extreme flooding following Hurricane Helene assaulted parts of North Carolina, one young father risked his own life to save the lives of a couple trapped in the deadly waters.

Columbus native Kenji Bowen, his girlfriend Caitlin Cahill, and their baby girl were returning home when they encountered treacherous waters near Wilmington, N.C. Kenji decided to turn back rather than cross the high water. However, he observed a truck on the other side—the driver was attempting to cross the deluge. 

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Kenji told Columbus County News, "We turned down Woodyard Road and got to the place where it was flooded. There was no way I was going through that with my family, so I got ready to turn around. There was a truck pulling into the water from the other side, and I tried to flash my lights at him to tell him to stop, but I guess he didn't see me."

By the time the driver realized he wouldn’t be able to make it through the rushing water, it was too late. When he put his pick-up into reverse, his tires began spinning, and the vehicle shifted to the side. The truck began to float toward deeper water and started to sink! 

Kenji, nicknamed “Flash” by his East Columbus High School football teammates, wasted no time sprinting into action. Despite not knowing how to swim, the young father risked his own life and rushed through the rising water and pounding rain toward the truck.

“I didn’t care if I couldn’t swim," he said later. "I didn’t think about it until I got to the truck."

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Kenji recalled, “That water was flowing stronger than anything I had ever seen. I got to the truck and grabbed hold [of the bumper], then started working toward them.” Kenji first helped the woman crawl out through the window and to Caitlin, and his girlfriend helped the frightened woman up the bank to dry land. Kenji returned to the truck to rescue the man and his dog, pulling the two through the window of the sinking truck.  

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WWAY 3’s Keelin Berrian spoke with the young couple about their heroic experience. When asked if he knew how dangerous the situation was, Kenji said,  “I do know how dangerous it was. I have a family friend’s uncle who got swept away during Florence. He passed away. So I knew when I saw that couple I was like- It brought back like, ‘Man, I don’t want that to happen to them too.’”

Though proud of her courageous 24-year-old son, Kenji’s mother, Mamie Bowen, told Keelin, “I was a little bit scared too watching him go into that water because, every so often, we hear about people being swept.”

What a blessing Kenji and Caitlin were to a couple and their dog in danger!

The father doesn’t regret risking his life to save others. He shared, “I risked it. I took a chance and I’m glad I did take a chance.” 

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“I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” Philippians 1:20

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h/t: WWAY 3

Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Mamie Beatty Bowen

Hally is a freelance writer, blogger, and mental health advocate. A former school counselor, Hally works for a nonprofit that distributes tax dollars to mental health and prevention education providers that serve her county's kids and families. She's a contributor to a devotional and two essay collectives, and she shares resources and wisdom regarding parenting teens, mental health, faith, adoption, and more at https://www.hallyjwells.com where she strives to "Dig Deep and Reach High." She and her husband have three adult children and one rascally beagle pup. Hally loves travel, her book club sisters, personality tests, and a great glass of iced tea.