Local Flooding Tragedy Has Small Bit Of Happiness [VIDEO]

The tragedy that befell a local family and their pet during the recent flood that hit Austin County was one that we felt the area should hear about.  Sharee Plaisance and her family woke up to water that they had never seen so close to their home.  The water had risen so much that the tires on Sharee’s truck were underwater.  As the water continued to rise they called for help and were told by dispatch that rescuers were on their way.  The water was reaching the door handle of the truck before rescuers finally arrived to give assistance.  However, when they arrived they informed Sharee that they needed to go further upstream because there were others who were facing even deeper water and she was told to wait and they would be back as soon as possible.

Finally, an airboat came and pulled up to the backdoor to get the family loaded onto the boat.  The boat was able to pull up to the back door because the porch had washed sideways against the side if the house.  Once everyone was loaded onto the boat they continued to an area where other rescue workers would be waiting to take them to safety.  Sharee was holding Oliver, the only family pet.  He was on a leash and zipped inside her jacket.  As they came closer to the rescue site but, still in fairly deep water, the rescue boat hit the guardrail of the bridge on Highway 36 and turned over throwing everyone on the boat into the swiftly moving water.  Sharee yelled to the driver of the boat that her boys could swim but, she could not and she would need his help.  The passenger rescue worker of the capsized boat assisted the boys to the brush and onto land.  Sharee found herself quickly being pulled back and under by the jacket that she was wearing as it caught the swiftly moving water.  She was pulled under several times but, was still holding Oliver.  As she struggled in the swift current it was becoming apparent that she must remove the jacket or drown.  She let go of Oliver in her struggle to remove the jacket.  She was able to see that Oliver was swimming so she knew that he hadn’t drowned but, that was the last that she saw of Oliver.  The rescue worker, who was the driver of the boat, was able to grab hold of her to help her stay above the water.  Finally, after getting her jacket off she heard him yelling for her to grab for the branches of the partially submerged trees.  He told her that they needed to get to the side where the current wouldn’t be as strong so they could make their way to the side of the fast flowing creek.  They used branches to help them make their way to land and the rescue trucks.  She and her boys were covered with blankets and taken to a local hospital where they could be examined for injuries.  Luckily, none of them had sustained any lasting injuries.

Now to the happier part of the story.  We first heard about Oliver and his owner from Sharee’s Aunt, Annette Zinn.  Annette took out an ad with us asking for anyone who might have information on or if anyone had found Oliver to contact them.  About a week later she emailed us saying that Oliver had been found.  A TV crew, who was doing a story on the Friends Animal Shelter, were filming and during their filming Oliver just wandered up to them.  One of the ladies from the shelter recognized Oliver and happily scooped him up.  You can see the video of Oliver actually being found by clicking the following link:  http://cw39.com/2016/04/20/animal-shelter-in-bellville-hit-hard-by-flooding/  It was after this that Oliver was reunited with his family who were overjoyed to be reunited with him. 

Sharee says that the community has been great and after Oliver was found that several other people had stepped up to help out the homeless family.  The Plaisance family had to stay at a local motel after they lost everything, including their rental house in the flood.  But, one person who leases houses in the area had one vacant and offered it for Sharee and her three boys to stay in until more permanent arrangements could be made or until the Bellville School District let’s out for summer, allowing for her boys to continue school uninterrupted.

Also, two local veterinary establishments stepped up to help the Plaisance family as well.  Dr. Lamp’s Bellville Veterinary Clinic gave Oliver a thorough check up and boarded him for a time until the Plaisance family was able to leave the motel.  And, Main Street Animal Hospital gave Oliver a free grooming.  

If you would like to help Sharee and her boys, you can contact her aunt, Annette Zinn via email at:  [email protected], or by calling (832) 423-8568.  The video below is an actual account of Sharee’s harrowing experience in her own words: