Devoted son spends 11 hours rescuing disabled mother from Hurricane Ian: 'She was happy to see me'
Johnny Lauder recalled the Hurricane Ian rescue in Florida on 'Fox & Friends First'
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A devoted son and former Chicago police officer heroically spent 11 hours rescuing his disabled mother from Hurricane Ian as floodwaters filled her home.
Johnny Lauder joined "Fox & Friends First" Thursday to discuss the rescue and how he was able to get his wheelchair-bound mother and another hurricane victim to safety in Naples, Florida.
"Once the storm water started coming in, and it was about three and a half, four feet of water on the side of my son's house, that's when I knew that time was of the essence, and I made sure they were safe and dry," Lauder told co-host Carley Shimkus. "They went up in an attic crawl space with a way to get out of the roof if need be, and I jumped out the window and started making my trek to help mom."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Lauder said his mother, who is 84 years old, refused to evacuate, but luckily he was down the street at his son's home when storm conditions began to escalate.
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University of Central Florida students use an inflatable mattress as they evacuate an apartment complex near the campus that was totally flooded by rain from Hurricane Ian, Friday, Sept. 30, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
He knew he needed to spring into action as floodwaters rose several feet high, so he began his trek through the water, all the way to his mother's house, where he heard her screaming.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I had to go through the window, and she was shaking, and I didn't want her to go into hypothermia," Lauder said. "She was happy to see me. Believe it or not, she doesn't have teeth, but she was smiling. Oh, never been happier to see me."
Lauder, who said he rescued another victim needing assistance as they left the home, said his mother is doing better and is currently in the hospital recovering.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}He and his mother both lost their homes in the storm. A GoFundMe page set up to aid the family in the aftermath has raised more than $24,000.
Lauder was touched by the overwhelming support.
"It's overwhelming, my eyes start sweating when this happens," he said. "To think… people would help us that don't know us, and there's so many other people out there that need more help than we do… it's just an overwhelming gratitude."