Holly Springs, North Carolina, Mayor Sean Mayefskie presented the Carnegie Medal to Carnegie Hero Eddie Hunnell at a Nov. 18 town council meeting. Also at the ceremony, Blake Belch, the southwestern regional director for U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, presented Hunnell with a copy of the Congressional Record which officially recognizes his heroism and a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol.
Hunnell was awarded the medal in June after he saved Leslie Worth from drowning in Grassy Creek, North Carolina, on Sept. 27, 2024.
During Hurricane Helene, the flooded North Fork New River knocked 66-year-old Leslie Worth’s home from its foundation. Worth jumped out of a window into the river while wearing a life jacket and was swept downstream in currents estimated at 8 m.p.h., along with her house, furniture, trees, and other debris. Eddie Hunnell, 57, was at a wedding rehearsal before the house had been swept into the river.
“We heard that someone was stranded a couple of hundred yards upriver,” Hunnell said. “You could tell the house was not going to last long. It lasted about 30 more minutes.”
Hunnell climbed into a canoe downstream while wearing a life vest and tried to paddle upstream to reach Worth, but he could not make progress against the current. He then said he had to opt for “Plan B.” Hunnell jumped overboard and swam to the middle of the river to intercept Worth, where he grabbed her life vest. He told her to float on her back and held onto her as the river carried them about 600 feet to an area where the river widened and grew calmer. There, Hunnell was able to swim 15 feet across the weakened current while towing Worth to an area where there was almost no current. He swam another 20 feet and reached an eddy where he was able to stand to help Worth out of the water with the help of bystanders. Worth was not injured. Hunnell was tired but not hurt during the rescue. Worth and her husband were strangers to the Hunnells prior to the rescue, but joined them at the rehearsal dinner.
Hunnell was humble upon receiving the medal.
“I did what I had to do to get to her,” Hunnell said.
Pictured, from left, are Belch; Hunnell; Worth; Worth’s husband, Phil; Hunnell’s wife, Susan; and Mayefskie.