Mom and 3 Children Rescued by Inmate Crew After Being Stuck in Their Home for a Week by Tornado Debris

A mom and her 3 children were rescued from their agrarian location 1 week aft nan third-widest tornado successful Oklahoma history swept done 1 county.

“It was a godsend,” says Mike Haynes, territory 2 commissioner of Pittsburg County, whose unit worked pinch minimum information inmates from Mack Alford Correctional Center to clear nan region roadworthy and backstage lane starring to nan woman’s location connected Tuesday, May 27. 

“They worked their tails off. We handed them chainsaws,” he tells PEOPLE. “They were cutting wood. Some of them looked for illustration lumberjacks.”

On Monday, May 19, nan EF-3 tornado blew done homes, tossed vehicles and brought down powerfulness lines successful nan metropolis of Pittsburg, resulting successful nary h2o for days. A week aft nan storm, Haynes says farmers were still missing immoderate of their livestock and 1 of his labor was navigating nan nonaccomplishment of her home, which was wholly demolished. 

In consequence to nan devastation, his 24-person unit spent days moving nonstop to clear fallen trees and debris from nan roads and people’s homes. Even pinch nan thief of crews from neighboring counties, location was still much debris to clear.

So, erstwhile Haynes received a telephone from Margaret Green, Warden of nan correctional halfway successful neighboring Atoka County, he “jumped” astatine her connection to nonstop 10 inmates to thief clear brush.

The first extremity was nan mother, who was stranded owed to nan storm.

The female lives connected a distant road, astir six miles from nan nearest town, officials said. While nan region had been capable to clear an exit way for a mini vehicle, location was much activity to beryllium done to make nan mile agelong of roadworthy traversable because aggregate trees had fallen down.

“She had an exit route, but it was a difficult exit route,” says Haynes. “It was tough.”

With chainsaws successful hand, astir 10 men from nan region and nan inmates spent astir 8 hours clearing retired trees and putting branches done a wood chipper. The inmates, who volunteered to help, first had to meet strict information and behaviour requirements earlier going to work. They were intimately supervised during nan day, according to a merchandise shared by nan Oklahoma Department of Corrections.

“They knocked it retired successful short work,” says Haynes. Without their help, it would person taken his unit doubly nan magnitude of clip because they were helping successful different areas. 

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The female was grateful for nan help, and truthful were nan region workers.

“All our guys are already wore out, truthful to person reinforcements travel successful and thief was great,” says foreman J. B. Sharp. 

Green says she's thankful and proud that nan inmates from Mack Alford were capable to assistance section residents.

"Many of them are utilizing skills they had earlier incarceration — for illustration operating dense instrumentality aliases moving a chainsaw — and they’re grateful for nan opportunity to thief nan organization recover," nan prison guard tells PEOPLE successful a statement. "It gives them a consciousness of intent and shows they tin still make a affirmative impact."

The inmates will activity pinch nan region until nan large wind betterment is complete, says Haynes. It was a use for nan inmates, too.

“All a man needs to do is atone, and they’ve fixed america a chance to do that,” said Brandon Boring, an inmate, according to nan Oklahoma Department of Corrections. “If you fto a man atone, we tin really spell backmost and beryllium awesome members of society.”