ORLANDO, Fla. ā Weāve seen many examples of kindness after Hurricane Ian. Everything from donations, to assisting with cleanup, to kind words to make someoneās day better.
In this case, itās a video game that led to one man taking matters into his own hands, and rescuing a woman heād never met.
āI was sitting in my chair reading and listening to a CD and the hurricane was going on outside. All of a sudden I heard a boom. I looked up and the ceiling was on me,ā said 79-year-old Laurel Brown.
Hurricane Ianās strong winds blew off part of the roof, causing the ceiling panels and insulation to bury Brown while she was on the couch. Brown was able to maneuver onto the floor as rain started to flood her apartment at Presbyterian Homes in Port Charlotte Wednesday.
āI got up, slipped and fell down. I was sitting in water. It was all surreal,ā Brown said.
[TRENDING: D-SNAP benefits approved for Florida residents affected by Hurricane Ian | St. Johns River still rising after reaching record flood stage | Win four 3-day park hopper passes to Walt Disney World | Become a News 6 Insider]
Brown managed to grab her phone, trying to contact family, sending videos and photos.
āMy daughter, she was the only one I could get ahold of... in Texas,ā Brown said. āI sent her the photo of the ceiling on top of the couch and she said āWhich chair were you in?ā I said, āThe one with all the ceiling.ā She said āI was afraid of that.āā
During the ordeal, Brownās 14-year-old Chihuahua, Sweet Pea, got spooked and ran into the other room, according to Brown, getting caught in a door that got slammed due to strong winds. Brown was able to grab the dog who was severely injured.
Brown said a neighbor invited her into his apartment to wait out the storm. Calling 911 was not an option at this point as Ian slammed the area.
āOur police officers had been taken off the roads due to the hurricane so we knew we couldnāt get help that way,ā Brown said.
Meantime, nearly 200 miles away in Orlando, Bill Feyh, 53, is chatting with his friends through a gaming system.
āMy friend Carl pops in and says āMy grandmotherās in this situationā and shortly after, he sends me a picture and Iām thinking āIs anyone going to help her,āā Feyh said.
Keep in mind, Feyh has never actually met Brownās grandson, Carl, in person. They became friends online.
āI didnāt think twice. I got in my car and did something,ā Feyh said.
Driving to Port Charlotte in the middle of a hurricane.
āItās like blackout snow. Itās blinding. You literally couldnāt see more than a few feet outside the car,ā Feyh said. āIām driving in winds that are like 90 to 100 miles per hour. Iām literally a pond rock skipping across, but I maintained control of the car.ā
Nearly three hours later, Feyh makes it to Brownās apartment complex. He grabbed some of her medication from her apartment and some clothes, getting Brown back to his Orlando home safely.
āI got a big black and blue bruise from the door when I tried to open it. A couple of scrapes on my knees,ā Brown said.
Brownās dog died from his injuries when they arrived to Orlando.
For over a week, Feyh and his mother welcomed Brown into their home. Treating her like family. Brownās home is now condemned, leaving her with no place to go.
āI have a feeling of relief. I was so shook that it took me two to three days to get my brain back again. I feel so blessed to have my life, my family and Bill all working to help me,ā Brown said.
Feyh said he doesnāt consider himself a hero and wants to encourage everyone to find it in their hearts to help someone if theyāre able.
āIt doesnāt have to be to my extreme. If you do one good deed ā random acts of kindness ā it never hurts and always makes the world a better place,ā Feyh said.
āIām so blessed and thankful that there are people like that. Proving theyāre out there, showing the good,ā Brown said.
Brownās family is driving down from Texas to get her until she finds a new place to live.
You can listen to every episode of Floridaās Fourth Estate in the media player below: