The mother was swept away by floodwaters caused by Hurricane Helene, while her husband and 8-year-old child, who were also trying to escape, watched helplessly.
North Carolina mom, Melissa Hensley Guinn, and her husband, Jamie Guinn, were startled by a sudden explosion-like sound. This marked the beginning of a heartbreaking tragedy that would leave their children without a mother and Jamie without his wife.
When Jamie and Melissa went to check on the loud bang, they found the back door shattered. Jamie hurried to the garage to find something to block it, but the garage had already been swept away.
Moments later, the house started collapsing. Jamie desperately called out for their 8-year-old son, River, who was with them at home in Minneapolis, North Carolina. The couple were also parents to three other sons: Brandon, Sebastian, and Ethan.
Despite carefully watching the situation from their home by the river, Jamie and Melissa were caught off guard by how quickly things changed. In the chaos, Jamie frantically searched through the collapsed house and found their son, River.
When Jamie looked up, he saw Melissa sitting on what was left of their home. Tragically, this was the last time he saw her alive.
Jamie remembered Melissa shouting at him to be careful, making him think another landslide was coming. Through tears, Jamie shared, “I grabbed my little boy and put him on my back, thinking another slide was happening. But when I turned back around to check on her … she was gone.”
Jamie recalled the frantic moments when he searched desperately for Melissa, calling her name, but she was nowhere to be found. His young son turned to him and said he thought Melissa was gone. Despite their continued cries, she never reappeared, leaving Jamie in shock. Amid the chaos, he couldn’t even remember if their house was still standing.
Jamie and River managed to find shelter at a neighbor’s house after the disaster. Despite Jamie suffering a fractured spine and a head injury that later became infected, he admitted that the physical pain was nothing compared to the heartbreak of losing Melissa. The emotional toll of losing his wife far outweighed any physical injuries.
Jamie reflected on the unimaginable speed at which the river rose, describing it as something beyond words and completely unexpected for their area. The devastation caused by Hurricane Helene’s floods left him unsure of how to begin rebuilding their lives after such a heartbreaking tragedy. The loss of Melissa and the destruction of their home made it difficult for him to see a path forward.
Jamie is currently mourning the loss of his wife, struggling to come to terms with life without her. He reflected on the depth of their bond, sharing how they were deeply involved in each other’s lives every day.
“Just going from having that person in your life every day to literally gone in the blink of an eye, it just shows how often you might take for granted being with someone,” he shared, his heartbreak evident as he tries to adjust to this unimaginable loss.
The couple had been together for 17 years and were just weeks away from celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary. Jamie spoke with deep emotion, saying, “She was the absolute greatest mother and wife we could have ever asked for,” expressing the profound love and admiration he had for Melissa.
The couple cherished the tradition of exchanging small gifts each year, and they often expressed their love for each other throughout the day. Jamie would always respond with a playful, “Love you more.”
This year, he decided to get Melissa a small plaque that listed the many reasons behind their love, symbolizing the deep connection they shared.
Jamie described Melissa as “a great mother, wife, daughter, sister, and friend to anyone who was in her life. She was beautiful, strong, passionate, generous, and an all-around sweet soul. She will be missed greatly by everyone she touched in life.”
