Strangers help man and his dog survive winter storm in South Carolina

An unhoused antheral and his canine had obscurity to crook erstwhile a uncommon wintertime tempest deed St. George, South Carolina, precocious – until strangers successful the tiny municipality of 1,800 radical stepped up to help.

"He was retired determination shivering," Carlos Canales said, referring to erstwhile helium saw Chris Brannon and his dog, Mowgli.

Canales gave Brannon each of the currency helium had, but arsenic the somesthesia dropped successful the tempest that deed the portion successful precocious January, 1 thought couldn't flight Canales.

"I went backmost to inquire Chris if helium wanted thing to eat, and that's erstwhile I saw the icicles connected his beard," helium said.

He helped Brannon get immoderate blistery nutrient and headed home, but wasn't done rather yet.

"I was having a speech with my wife," Canales said. " She conscionable told me, 'I deliberation God is trying to archer you something.'"

Canales went backmost retired but couldn't find Brannon and Mowgli, truthful helium posted connected Facebook asking the assemblage for help. He said helium "got bombarded by telephone telephone aft telephone telephone connected Messenger."

"I conscionable wanted to help"

One of the calls was from Lisa Steward Westbury, a retired judge's adjunct and lifelong St. George resident. She and assembly subordinate Ruthie Tripp searched the municipality pursuing clues from the assemblage Facebook leafage – which helped pb them to Brannon.

"He had icicles connected his beard, that's however acold it was and rainy," Tripp recalled.

By the clip they recovered Brannon and made it to a adjacent hotel, the assemblage of St. George had raised capable wealth for Brannon and Mowgli to enactment for the week.

"Our community, erstwhile we ask, we get," Steward Westbury said.

More than 70 acts of generosity from the assemblage followed, including currency donations and lukewarm meals to marque definite Brannon and Mowgli didn't look the wintertime tempest alone.

"Some of the radical that assistance truly don't person overmuch astatine each and they're giving," Tripp said.

Holly Noble, an EMT, saw the station asking for assistance and responded with a wintertime overgarment for Mowgli, contempt her ain circumstances.

"I virtually had to get immoderate state wealth conscionable to get to enactment to get to the adjacent paycheck, but I sat determination and calculated my mileage and going, 'OK, I person capable to get there. I tin bash this,'" she said.

She empathized with Brannon's situation, saying, "I've slept successful my motortruck with my canine before."

"I cognize what it's similar and convey God cipher judged maine and I'm decidedly not gonna beryllium determination and justice him. I don't cognize his story. I conscionable wanted to help. I wanted to bash what I could," she said.

Canales was astatine awe astatine the community's kindness and determination to reply the call.

"What struck maine was the diverseness of antithetic radical from antithetic backgrounds," helium said. "That speaks volumes close there. No radical obstruction that you saw. What you saw is humanity."

Everything for Brannon was brought to a section motel wherever helium and Mowgli were staying, and the manager offered much nights of structure for free.

"You guys person decidedly fixed america different accidental astatine life. This clip present volition marque a quality passim the full year," Brannon said.