A man from South Carolina wasn’t going to let anything stop him from witnessing his daughter get married— not even a Category 4 hurricane.
Over the weekend, David Jones, 64, was scheduled to walk his daughter down the aisle at her wedding in Johnson City, Tennessee. He set out from South Carolina for what would normally be a two-hour drive, but his journey was interrupted by the devastating impact of Hurricane Helene. With the roads closed due to debris, Jones refused to let the storm stop him. Determined to make it in time, he continued on foot, walking throughout the night to ensure he was there for his daughter’s big day.
A Father’s 30 Mile Walk Through Hurricane Helene Debris
Jones initially started his journey by driving across the Tennessee state line, a trip that stretched into a long seven hours due to heavy traffic and road closures caused by the weekend’s storm damage. His road trip came to a sudden end when he reached an interstate that was completely shut down, preventing anyone from going further.
“I went up to the incident commander and I said, ‘Sir, I need to get to Johnson City.’ He said, ‘Well, I’m sorry. You can’t. The bridges are out. Nobody can get through,’ ” Jones told People.
With interstates closed and backroads completely underwater, Jones found himself with no options left. By that point, it was already late into the night, and his daughter’s wedding was just a few hours away. His hands were tied, and time was running out.
Not wasting any more time, Jones did the only thing he could think of. He left his car behind, grabbed his backpack, and started walking the rest of the way.
Jones shared that during his journey, several officers tried to stop him, but each time, he explained that nothing would prevent him from walking his daughter down the aisle.
“I would explain, ‘My daughter’s getting married at 11 o’clock, and I’m going to be there to walk her down the aisle,’” he says. “There was debris everywhere on the road and beside the road.”
After hours of walking and navigating the dangerous conditions left by the deadly hurricane, Jones reached Erwin, Tennessee, where his story had apparently spread among local law enforcement.
“A state trooper pulled up alongside of me and rolled his window down and said, ‘Sir, are you the one that’s trying to get to your daughter’s wedding?’ I chuckled and said, ‘Yes, sir, I am. How did you know?,’ ” Jones told. “He said, ‘We’re all talking about you– they all said you’re determined.’ ”
The officer offered Jones a ride to downtown but could only take him part of the way. With miles still to go, Jones continued, grabbing a red reflector from the side of the road to use so he wouldn’t be hit by passing cars. After another six miles, a truck pulled over— a moment that seemed like a miracle for him.
Struck by luck, the driver was a man Jones had worked with in the past. The man gave him a lift the rest of the way to Johnson City, where Jones was able to shower, change, and make it just in time for the wedding.
According to Jones, he did “what any dad would do.”
“It meant the world,” he added. “Every dad wants to walk his daughters down the aisle.”
As it turns out, his daughter had no idea about the unimaginable journey her father had taken to be there. After the wedding, he shared the story with everyone during his toast at the reception.
“I told the story of the 27 miles and how if there was any way, I was going to find it. Lots of tears were shed by me and others,” Jones said.
Jones even gave his daughter and her new husband the reflector he carried during his walk as a gift, hoping it would serve as a symbol for them to never give up when times get tough.
“I said, ‘I want you to keep this reflector as a reminder to always protect each other, even in your darkest hours. That’s when it’s needed the most, as it did for me, and for you both to continue to be a reflection of God’s goodness, because you are such good people.’ ”