A Texas woman was found dead after being saved twice by emergency responders in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
When the floodwaters came sweeping through Houston, 73-year-old Wilma Jean Ellis was trapped in water up to her knees. A small rescue boat came up the driveway to offer help and she was taken away, leaving her son, Carl Ellis, behind.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Carl was told that the rescuers would be coming back to save him. However, he never saw them, or his mother again, the New York Times reports.
At the time Ellis believed his mother was being ferried to higher ground, she was actually found floating face down in the floodwater. A neighbor, Desmond Clark, explained how Ms. Ellis ended up in the floodwater.
“They were trying to make a right, but the boat tipped over,” Clark said. “I didn’t see nobody go get her.”
“I’m not thinking to myself, ‘Oh, she’s drowning,’ because she didn’t look like she was drowning,” Clark continued. “She looked like she was swimming.”
The next thing anyone knew, Ms. Ellis was being resuscitated by a group of civilian boaters from Louisiana.
The moment was aired on national television with the boaters – who were part of an informal organization known as the Cajun Navy – being hailed as heroes. With a massive rescue effort underway, only a handful of people then paid attention to Ms. Ellis’ next 10 hours after being resuscitated.
Later that day, Ms. Ellis arrived at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in a body bag. The hospital records say that she was brought in by either the Coast Guard or Fire Department.
When Ms. Ellis arrived at the hospital, she was taken in as a Jane Doe. Her family had no idea where she was with Carl being under the impression she was taken to a nearby school.
Ms. Ellis’ family members are still working to learn how she passed away after being rescued.
——-
Want to win a killer Kingsman: The Golden Circle prize pack? 2 lucky winners will get the chance to win some epic Kingsman gear by clicking here or the image above! Also click here to find out when Kingsman: The Golden Circle is playing near you and pre-order your tickets for your local Regal Cinema!
Most Viewed
-
(Photo by Ben Curtis – PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images) -
US singer Miley Cyrus attends the 97th Annual Academy Awards at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, California on March 2, 2025. (Photo by Angeka Weiss/AFP via Getty Images) -
Antique TV set with color bars, on black background. 3D rendering -
NEW YORK CITY – DECEMBER 19: "Toil and Trouble" – Elsbeth is thrown into the world of television after the showrunner of a long-running police procedural is brutally murdered in his office, and although it appears to be the act of a disgruntled fan, she begins to suspect the show's longtime star Regina Coburn (Laurie Metcalf) who yearns for artistic fulfillment. Meanwhile, Judge Crawford (Michael Emerson) continues to be a thorn in Elsbeth's side, on the CBS original series ELSBETH, Thursday, Dec. 19 (10:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network, and streaming on Paramount+ (live and on demand for Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscribers, or on demand for Paramount+ Essential subscribers the day after the episode airs). Pictured (L-R): Carrie Preston as Elsbeth Tascioni and Carra Patterson as Kaya Blanke. (Photo by Michael Parmelee/CBS via Getty Images)
