Tennessee nurse and his dog die trying to save man from Hurricane Helene floods

A northeastern Tennessee nurse and his dog died in flash floods from Hurricane Helene while trying to save someone, according to the man's employer.

Boone McCrary was a registered nurse at Greeneville Community Hospital, about 70 miles northeast of Knoxville, part of the Ballad Health system.

On Sept. 27, he was in a boat with his dog, a chocolate lab named Moss, trying to save someone else, the health system announced on Facebook.

McCrary, his dog and a female occupant launched a boat into the river just after 7 p.m. on Sept. 27 when the boat swept into the bridge and capsized, a spokesperson for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency or TWRA confirmed to USA TODAY this week.

All three people in the boat fell into the water. The female occupant was rescued, but McCrary and his dog were swept downstream.

McCrary's body was recovered from a creek feeding into the Nolichucky River around 2 p.m. on Oct. 1, The boat and his dog's body were found Sunday, TWRA said.

"TWRA offers prayers and condolences to McCrary’s family and loved ones," the agency said in its statement. "The incident remains under investigation."

McCrary's family did not immediately respond to requests for comment but his sister, Laura McCrary Harville, shared that she's still in shock on Facebook.

"It's Tuesday," she wrote. "It's been a week since my brother, Boone, was found. I'm still in shock. It hasn't set in yet. I'm trying to just act normal until it does."

She encouraged community members to check in with themselves to make sure they are living lives they'll be proud of.

As of Saturday, at least 228 people have died due to Hurricane Helene's devastation across the southeastern U.S.

McCrary’s last TikTok video was shared on July 2. In the video, he’s on a boat and notes how some people wonder if he has a death wish.

"The truth is that I have a 'life wish,'" he captioned the video. 

"I have a need for feeling the life running through my veins. One thing about me...I may be 'crazy' perhaps, a little reckless at times but when the time comes to put me in the ground, you can say I lived it all the way. Besides, who else gets to see these sunsets?"

Hospital community remembers nurse as 'ultimate caregiver'

When Ballad Health shared news about McCrary's death, the health system said he was “the ultimate caregiver who was kind and compassionate with a larger-than-life personality.”

He’d often sing to team members and patients to make them feel better and he loved music. McCrary also loved Moss, his dog, and the pair spent every second they could together, Ballad said in its dedication to him.

“We are committed to being there for each of our team members as we grieve and work through the challenging days ahead together,” the post read. Thank you for respecting the privacy of those affected as we navigate this tragedy.”

McCrary was a member of the Greene County Coon Club, TN Bear Hunters Association and was made an honorary member of the Camp Creek Volunteer Fire Department for his actions during the hurricane, his obituary said.

“The family wants to thank all of the volunteers, what we have affectionately nicknamed the Boone's Brigade, for your countless hours spent searching and praying,” the obituary said.

Survivor calls nurse his guardian angel

The man McCrary was attempting to rescue is David Boutin, according to a Facebook post and the Associated Press, and he attended McCrary's funeral Sunday.

“I got to thank you today brother,” Boutin wrote in the post, saying McCrary risked his life to save his. “May you rest in peace and continue to watch over us and help as you did while here.”

He called McCrary is his guardian angel.

Boutin also shared online that he is trying to rebuild and get back on his feet after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. 

USA TODAY has reached out to Boutin for more information.

Contributing: Dinah Voyles Pulver and Eduardo Cuevas, USA TODAY

This story has been updated with new information.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].