Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, has been experiencing severe flooding in recent weeks, leaving many communities in a state of emergency. In this challenging scenario, stories of courage and solidarity emerge, such as that of Juarez and his son Dionatan, members of the Adventist Church, who became heroes by saving lives during floods with the family boat.

Solidarity in Times of Crisis

It all started when a call for help arrived via a messaging app in a group at the Adventist Church in the Integração neighborhood in Novo Hamburgo, a municipality in Rio Grande do Sul. A church couple needed to be rescued from their flooded home and Juarez didn't hesitate to offer his boat to help. However, upon arriving at the scene, they realized that the situation was even more serious than they imagined.

Juarez expresses the difficulty of reporting the situation people were in during the rescues. According to Juarez, he already knew he should return immediately when looking for individuals, as others also needed help. "There were a lot of people committed to helping, thank God. What people experienced there is impressive. People were saved in the water, swimming because they had nowhere else to go," he reports.

Tireless Rescues

What began with the rescue of a couple soon turned into a rescue marathon, with Juarez and Dionatan working tirelessly for hours on end. They navigated the dangerous waters, rescuing around 100 people in the Integração neighborhood and 200 people in the Santo Afonso neighborhood, in Novo Hamburgo, facing adverse consequences of heavy rains.

Dionatan, Juarez's son, remembers that they rescued a person in a wheelchair from the roof. "When we looked to the side there were the ideal wooden planks to remove the person to safety. My father says that it is God's leading directing things to fall into place", he agrees.

This apparent coincidence is interpreted by Juarez as divine guidance, as people and resources presented themselves in a timely manner during the rescues. Even exhausted, they persisted, driven by responsibility and promises made to the victims.

Just like Dionatan, others helped during the rescues. "There were people who were rescuing from Friday until Sunday. They said they were exhausted, but they couldn't stop, because every time they came back and said it was the last time they would look for people, they remembered that those people were counting on them and that they had promised to return", tells Dionatan.

Human and Animal Rescues

While sailing, in addition to saving human lives, Juarez and Dionatan also did not hesitate to rescue pets, showing boundless compassion amid the chaos. Juarez recalls that during the rescues they found several other residents asking for help, as they had nowhere to go. Those people begged for their lives, and also for the lives of their domestic animals.

Trust in God

Juarez faced additional challenges when placing nine people on a boat designed for just five. Fear was palpable among those inexperienced and terrified by the situation. They found couples with around 24 dogs on board during the early hours of the morning, highlighting the diversity and complexity of the circumstance.

Among the reports, a pattern emerged, the desperate cry for help. This was the reality experienced hour after hour while residents waited for help.

During the entire rescue period, the boat's gas tank lasted, making rescues possible until dawn. It was only when sunlight appeared that they realized the lack of fuel. On the other hand, the boat needed to be refueled at least three times to continue sailing throughout the day.

For three consecutive days, father and son dedicated themselves to the arduous rescue work. On Monday, May 6, Juarez returned to the flooded areas in order to find and save more stranded people.

The original article was published on the South American Division Portuguese website.