Volunteer firefighter who rushed to help Hurricane Helene victims is threatened with arrest

A volunteer firefighter using his own helicopter to help save Hurricane Helene victims was threatened with an arrest while halfway through helping an elderly couple.

Jordan Seidhom, a former cop and volunteer firefighter, has been using his personal chopper to reach those cut off from rescue teams following the devastating storm.

But while halfway through rescuing an elderly couple in Lake Lure, North Carolina, on Sunday, a senior official with the local fire department told him he would arrest him for doing so.

Seidhom brought his two-seater aircraft down in a parking lot after rescuing Susan Coffey from her her home, while leaving his own son Landon with her husband Michael at their isolated property.

The plan had been for Seidhom to return Susan to safety, before then returning for Landon and Michael in three separate trips, before the fire official threatened to have him arrested, he has claimed. Speaking with WJZY, Seidhom said he touched down in the parking lot after spotting a group of first responders.

When he landed, he said he was confronted by a fire chief who scolded Seidhom for not coordinating with the locally organized rescue efforts.

He said: 'In the middle of the whole conversation, I was greeted by the Lake Lure fire chief, or assistant chief, maybe. And he shut down the whole operation.'

Seidhom said that the official told him 'if you have that kind of experience you should be coordinating with us'.

I used to live in rural N Calif.

I remember when the Sacramento River levees breached & were FLOODING farmland—BELOW the level of the river. In the 90’s.

Local helicopters were giving updates live ALL DAY LONG.

Ranchers/farmers were evacuated. Cattle were up on the overpasses to get out of the water. Other livestock were drowning.

A dog that hid when the family left was on the roof of the farm house. As the water rose, he kept going higher. Helo pilot for Channel 4 -NBC- out of Sacto Kept track of him all day long, along with his cameraman.

Dusk was settling in, water still rising , and dog was NOW on the PEAK of the roof pitch.

Pilot couldn’t stand it, so he hovered, cameraman grabbed the dog—who by NOW-—EVERYONE KNEW from the family his name was RODEO—family Aussie mix cattle dog.

They scooped him UP WITH LIVE COVERAGE.

Everyone was very happy the dog was rescued.

PILOT—a NAM medivac pilot-—WAS FIRED.

I DIDN’T watch that station again. There was LOTS of backlash.

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