On the 26th of September, Hurricane Helene hit Florida. The terrible storm caused many damage, and took more than 100 lives.
Pinellas County, in the Tampa Bay was one of the locations which took most of the damage caused by the storm. So far, 11 people are confirmed as dead.
66-year-old second-grade teacher is one of the victims of the hurricane. Donna Fagersten was a teacher at Ponce De Leon Elementary school in Pinellas County. Her best friend Heather Anne Boles stated that she was going to be retired on the 30th of September, after 35 years in her career.
Water beginning to come over walls off the beach in Indian Shores. Also, as the sheriff said earlier…someone is gonna “win a stupid prize…” #HurricaneHelene pic.twitter.com/jLISw266dt
— Pinellas County Sheriff's Office (@SheriffPinellas) September 26, 2024
Fagerston was with her friend Boles and her partner Mike Moran when the hurricane hit. “The water came up so fast,” Mike Moran said to Fox News. “It maybe had 10 minutes, if that.”
“We all went to my mom’s house and got on the third floor when the storm surge rushed in,” Boles said, as she explained that they went to her mother’s house.
The house was across the street where Fagerston was living. “Donna wanted to go over and check on her cat,” Boles said. She added that the storm started to calm down when that happened.
Boles begged her friend to stay, but Donna wanted to make sure her cat was okay. A neighbour came then to Boles’ mother’s house.
“[He] said he saw somebody floating in the parking garage, so they pulled [Fagersten] up to the stairs, and Heather [Boles] and [a friend] started CPR,” Moran stated.
“We lost 3 trees w/ Irma, but we still had our house, we still had all our belongings & we still had Donna.”
Donna Fagersten is one of 9 in Pinellas Co. who died during #HurricaneHelene. Hear from her best friend who tried to save her life, on @FOX13News at 6.
📸: Meliza Zamora pic.twitter.com/ap2uYpcLYG
— Kylie Jones Fox 13 (@kyliejonesontv) September 30, 2024
Despite their efforts to save Donna, “there was nothing we could do,” Moran said. “Losing one of your best friends is just devastating.”
“Detectives say Donna Fagersten was located in several inches of water inside her residence. It was apparent that water entered the residence and Fagersten appeared to have drowned.” was stated by Eye on Tampa Bay.
“People may have lost a lot this hurricane but we lost Donna Fagersten who was a beautiful person, a friend, and a teacher. I worked with Donna for over 13 years, and she has touched the lives of so many students,” Mary Gleason Lyons, a community member and co-worker, shared from her Facobook page. “I am so saddened by this and will miss her. She was dedicated to her students and had such a big heart.”
May Donna rest in peace.
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