Tragedy struck a family in Minneapolis, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene triggered devastating mudslides, leading to the death of Melissa Guinn, a mother of four. Melissa was swept away in front of her husband, Jamie, and their 8-year-old son, River, as the family sought shelter inside their home on September 27.

The family had been weathering the storm inside their home, located near a river, when disaster hit. “It sounded like a cannon going off,” Jamie recalled. “I just remember being crushed by the house falling all around me.” In the chaos, Jamie managed to dig through the debris and found his son. “I could hear him screaming, and somehow, we dug through the house where it collapsed almost down into the river, and I found him.”

However, Melissa was nowhere to be found. Jamie shared the heartbreaking moment with local news outlets, remembering how he heard his wife’s last words: “‘Babe, watch out,’ she screamed.” Desperate to save his son, Jamie threw River onto a riverbank, away from the collapsing home, but when they returned, Melissa had disappeared. “I got right behind my little boy and started screaming for my wife because I couldn’t hear her anymore,” Jamie said. “He looked at me and said, ‘Dad, I think mommy’s gone.'”

In the aftermath of the destruction, Jamie and River were forced to navigate treacherous, mud-filled hillsides and raging rivers for hours before finding help. Days passed before the family learned what happened to Melissa, and over a week later, her body was recovered on October 7.

Jamie, who suffered a fractured spine and head injuries, expressed that the physical pain was nothing compared to losing his wife. “I don’t think I still even comprehended,” he told WRAL. “Part of me feels like I’m still in a state of shock and understanding everything that happened.”

The couple had been just weeks away from celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. In addition to River, the Guinns shared a blended family of four children. “She was the absolute greatest mother and wife we could have all even asked for,” Jamie said, mourning the loss of his wife.

In the wake of Melissa’s tragic death, a GoFundMe fundraiser, created by one of Jamie’s coworkers, has raised over $76,000 to help the family recover. Melissa “will be missed greatly by everyone that she touched in life,” the fundraiser organizer shared.

The loss of Melissa Guinn highlights the devastating toll of natural disasters like Hurricane Helene, leaving her family to pick up the pieces after this unimaginable tragedy.