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The two set off on a mission of mercy. Their efforts quickly bore fruit as they rescued multiple people, including two women who were left without food and water and a couple stranded on a perilous mountainside. “They didn’t have any food, water, no running water, no power. And we were coming back this direction anyway, so we actually took them to Charlotte-Douglas Airport, and they were able to fly home from there,” Seidhom recalled of the rescue.
Yet, as more rescue missions followed, tension between Seidhom and local authorities escalated. On his second day of rescue efforts, Seidhom, with his son by his side, spotted more people in need. His son, Landon, noticed a woman frantically waving for help. Despite the high-risk conditions, the pair conducted a careful reconnaissance of the area, checking for obstacles like power lines and trees, before landing safely on a crumbling driveway submerged by floodwaters.
What unfolded next was a tense confrontation between Seidhom and the local fire chief, who reportedly threatened to arrest him. Seidhom, who had just evacuated a woman, leaving his son and her husband behind to lighten the helicopter’s load, was informed by the fire chief that his rescue efforts were considered “interfering” with official operations.
“Once we landed where emergency personnel were, I was met by a fire chief or maybe a captain, and he asked me who I was. I told him who I was, who I was with, just a local volunteer,” Seidhom recounted. The chief initially allowed Seidhom to coordinate with the emergency team, even giving him radio frequencies and landing spots. But moments later, everything changed. Another fire official abruptly shut down the entire operation.
According to Seidhom, the fire chief’s justification was that his efforts were interfering. “If you have that kind of experience, you should know that you should be coordinating with us,” the fire chief reportedly told Seidhom, despite Seidhom’s previous coordination with local law enforcement and other rescue teams.
The situation reached a breaking point when Seidhom, trying to explain that his son and another victim were still stranded on the mountainside, was told that he was not permitted to retrieve them. “You’re going to leave them there,” the fire chief ordered. When Seidhom insisted he would go back for his son and the victim, the fire chief issued a chilling threat: “If you turn around and go back up the mountain, you’re going to be arrested.”
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Faced with the potential of arrest, Seidhom asked law enforcement officers on the scene whether he would indeed be taken into custody for completing his rescue mission. To his surprise, the officers were unsure, with one responding, “Man, I really don’t know what to do in this situation.”
Despite the fire chief’s insistence, Seidhom was not deterred. He made it clear that his priority was rescuing his son and the victim. Ultimately, however, his rescue efforts were halted, as a Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) was established over the Lake Lure area, grounding his helicopter.
WATCH:
In what should have been a tale of heroism, Seidhom now faces scrutiny and potential arrest for daring to do what others could not—rescue stranded families from life-threatening conditions. While local authorities argue that Seidhom’s actions were disruptive, many see his intervention as a brave effort to save lives amid disaster. The story of Seidhom’s selflessness serves as a stark reminder of the fine line between heroism and bureaucracy in times of crisis.
