COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. — Historic flooding swept through upper East Tennessee after Hurricane Helene, dunking communities underwater. The flooding killed 17 people in the state and devastated communities.
Sheila Creveling had one thought as the floodwaters closed in, “If you go much further, you’re gonna die." So, she said she decided to start swimming. In a matter of seconds, water invaded her home. Instead of seeking safety, the 80-year-old risked her life to save her beloved dog, Biscuit.
“I got up the steps and I got Biscuit under my arm, but then the water was basically up to my chest,” Creveling said.
But it wasn’t enough. Both Creveling and Biscuit were swept into the river, battling a powerful current.
“He looked at me and he drowned, and I wanted to die,” she said. “But then, I said, 'I have a son. I can't do that to my son.'”
Drawing on a lifetime of swimming experience, Creveling fought against the pull of the water, which dragged her further downstream.
“I’ve been swimming since I was nine months old,” she said. “So I took deep breaths, swam as hard as I could, and came up for air, over and over.”
After almost an hour in the water, she made it back to safety—stunned to find herself in her own driveway.
“I can’t tell anyone how I did it because I don’t know. But I did it," she said.
Back at her home, she was met with the devastation of losing everything she owned, and the grief of losing her best friend.
“He was the best thing in my life. He was a treasure. He was precious. I adored him, and I will never forget him," she said.
Since the flood, Biscuit’s body has been laid to rest in what remains of Creveling’s yard, a place she has no plans of leaving.
“I’m 80 years old, and I’m not quitting. I’m not leaving this property. I’m not leaving my dog. Never," she said.
