By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-10-02 20:01:17 | Updated at 2024-10-04 11:22:38
1 day ago
A volunteer firefighter using his own helicopter to help save Hurricane Helene victims was threatened with an arrest while halfway through helping an elderly couple.
Jordan Seidhom, a former cop and volunteer firefighter, has been using his personal chopper to reach those cut off from rescue teams following the devastating storm.
But while halfway through rescuing an elderly couple in Lake Lure, North Carolina, on Sunday, a senior official with the local fire department told him he would arrest him for doing so.
Seidhom brought his two-seater aircraft down in a parking lot after rescuing Susan Coffey from her her home, while leaving his own son Landon with her husband Michael at their isolated property.
The plan had been for Seidhom to return Susan to safety, before then returning for Landon and Michael in three separate trips, before the fire official threatened to have him arrested, he has claimed.
Jordan Seidhom, a former cop and volunteer firefighter, has been using his personal chopper to reach those cut off from rescue teams following the devastating storm.
Seidhom had rescued an elderly woman, seen here, and had planned to return her to safety before making the return trip for her husband - as he could only move one person at a time
Speaking with WJZY, Seidhom said he touched down in the parking lot after spotting a group of first responders.
When he landed, he said he was confronted by a fire chief who told Seidhom radio frequencies so they could coordinate rescue missions.
The plan had been for Seidhom to return Susan to safety, before then returning for Landon and Michael. Michael and Susan are seen here
He said: 'In the middle of the whole conversation, I was greeted by the Lake Lure fire chief, or assistant chief, maybe. And he shut down the whole operation.'
Seidhom said that the official told him 'if you have that kind of experience you should be coordinating with us'.
While trying to explain that he had been coordinating with law enforcement and rescue teams and asked how he could stay in touch with the local FD.
Seidhom confirmed the senior firefighter's identity to WJZY but did not name him. DailyMail.com is working to verify the man's name.
Seidhom was then ordered to leave and not return, before he explained he had to fly back over a section of land to recover his son and Michael - with his chopper only able to accommodate one more person at a time.
He continued: 'He told me I wasn't going to go back up the mountain to get them, I was going to leave them there.'
When he pushed the man for a reason as to why he should not go back to collect them, he was told 'you're interfering with my operation'.
The man then told Seidhom: 'If you turn around and go back up the mountain, you're going to be arrested. I said, 'Well, sir, I'm going back to get my copilot [his son], I don't know what to tell you'.'
Seidhom said the fire official then called over two other law enforcement officers who threatened him with arrest should he return to pick up the two.
Seidhom's helicopter that he has been using for the rescues is seen here
Prior to the events of Sunday, Seidhom and his son Landon had managed to save two flooding victims who had been staying at an Airbnb
After explaining his situation again, one of the officers told him he 'didn't know what do' should Seidhom defy the warning and continue flying.
He added: 'So, at that point, I felt like the other person was going to pressure him to arrest me when I come back with the victim and then my son would have been left on the side of a mountain with this person to go and rescue him.'
Seidhom was told to return a nearby a county airport by the fire official and wait for the Federal Aviation Administration to meet with him.
Reluctantly, Seidhom got back in his chopper and picked up his son and told Michael he was unable to help him - over fears he would be arrested.
The fire officials had told him they would be able to rescue Michael within a few hours, while it was just a three minute flight for him.
Seidhom and his son then returned to Rutherford County Airport where they waited on the FAA for three hours.
Seidhom said: 'I did leave the Rutherford Airport. I knew at that point he had no jurisdiction.
'I was legal in what I was doing, and I was following all FAA guidelines and airspace guidelines. I was on private property.'
In this image taken with a drone, a marina is choked in debris in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Lake Lure
Thirty minutes after of the arrest threat, a temporary flight restriction order was also implemented over Lake Lure, right where he and the official faced off.
He believes that the move to have himself and other pilots pushed out of the rescue zone put peoples lives at risk.
'There were other victims; as we were flying out leaving the area, we spotted within 300, 400 yards within their location that they just could not get access to that were waving for help as my son and I were leaving.
'I can only imagine what the people were thinking. You've been stranded for 24, 36 hours.
'No way to speak with anyone, you don't know what's going on and you see a lifeline fly over and they keep going. I can only imagine what they were thinking'.
'I'm sorry, if I had to do it over again, I would have stopped and I would have rescued as many people until they decided they were going to arrest me.'
Prior to the events of Sunday, Seidhom and his son Landon had managed to save two flooding victims who had been staying at an Airbnb.
In a post to social media, Michael Coffey later said that he had to swim across a river to safety, but him and his wife are now safe as well as their cat Cleo.
DailyMail.com has approached the Lake Lure fire department for comment.
