Houston family members reunited with man who rescued them from roof
— -- A mother of three who was rescued with her family from the roof of a two-story home was reunited for the first time with the man who saved their life.
When Iashia Nelson, 36, finally saw a boat take the children to safety after being stranded for days, she said, her emotions overcame her. "I was so emotional, I couldn't hold back my tears. I was crying," she said today on "GMA."
Nelson and her family were rescued by James Murphy and other members of the "Cajun Navy," an informal volunteer group with small watercraft. After the children were picked up, she and the other adults in the group were rescued by another boat.
"I was so happy to see my kids getting on that boat and all those children we had with us getting on that boat. I don't know what I would do if James and the Cajun Navy [had not come] and volunteered their service," she added.
When Murphy first passed the house in the boat, Nelson said, "we were hollering, and he said, 'I'll be back for y'all, I promise,' and he kept his word, and I'm forever grateful for him."
Murphy told ABC News he had to use another man's boat for the rescue because of the choppy floodwaters.
"In order to get to them, we tried a few boats, but it's very dangerous, and the currents were very strong," Murphy said. "It was a big risk. We just wanted to basically get them to safe ground."
Murphy said he saved more than 100 people yesterday and plans to continue with rescue efforts today.
A GoFundMe page has been setup for Nelson and her family.
