{"id":110525,"date":"2024-10-05T03:07:15","date_gmt":"2024-10-04T20:07:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=110525"},"modified":"2024-10-05T03:07:15","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T20:07:15","slug":"impact-plastics-tennessee-factory-says-workers-had-time-to-flee-helenes-floodwaters-their-families-disagree","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=110525","title":{"rendered":"Impact Plastics: Tennessee factory says workers had time to flee Helene\u2019s floodwaters. Their families disagree"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div data-editable=\"content\" itemprop=\"articleBody\" data-reorderable=\"content\">\n<p>\n    <cite class=\"source__cite\"><br \/>\n      <span class=\"source__location\" data-editable=\"location\"\/><br \/>\n      <span class=\"source__text\" data-editable=\"source\">CNN<\/span><br \/>\n        \u00a0\u2014\u00a0<br \/>\n    <\/cite>\n<\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1updgef00003b6msjg8lrg3@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The last time El\u00edas Ibarra Mendoza heard his wife\u2019s voice, she was pleading for his help.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuhshi00013b6mhbsxycom@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201c\u2018Tell my kids that I love them very much and I won\u2019t be able to answer your calls anymore because the phone will get wet,\u2019\u201d Ibarra Mendoza told CNN affiliate\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.univision.com\/shows\/noticiero-univision\/el-ultimo-mensaje-de-una-hispana-que-murio-tras-el-azote-del-huracan-helene-dile-a-mis-hijos-que-los-quiero-video?utm_campaign=Univision+Noticias&amp;utm_content=sprout&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawFqMQNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHX2LyAIQeGr0HOC0dR4FfflqM0RK_eFsFfJsFzt74MezEu3yVqEX48Vtdg_aem_WH-WV3_Wft-39GzANTBh1w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Univision<\/a>\u00a0of Bertha Mendoza\u2019s last words to him.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuhshi00023b6mxqdbb0im@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            He never heard from his wife of 38 years again.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuhshi00033b6mzg8vtt1s@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The 56-year-old grandmother was one of 11 Tennessee plastics plant workers swept away by Hurricane Helene\u2019s deadly floodwaters after they tried to leave the facility. Only five were rescued. Four people who worked at the Impact Plastics plant in Erwin are still missing, and two have been confirmed dead, including Mendoza, the <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/hurricane-helene-tennessee-f7c4a460de588df7a4d5bc9efa756ecb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Associated Press<\/a> reported.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuhshi00043b6mlg20nmbf@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Families of the victims and Impact Plastics workers are outraged, demanding answers about why, they say, employees were made to work during extreme weather conditions, and some were told they couldn\u2019t leave as warnings of heavy rainfall in the flood-prone area poured in. Impact Plastics has forcefully denied those claims, saying late Thursday the allegations are false, and no employee was stopped from leaving.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uv7vx000003b6muxq0ygke@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Two state investigations are unfolding into the tragedy as employees, victims\u2019 families and company owners offer differing accounts of the hour before floodwaters overtook the area.\n    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm1uuomjw00013b6mllrvn67e@published\" class=\"image image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"USATSI_24370580.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6668\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24370580.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\">\n       <picture class=\"image__picture\"><source height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24370580.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(min-width: 960px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24370580.jpg?q=w_1015,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24370580.jpg?q=w_1160,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(max-width: 479px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24370580.jpg?q=w_680,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24370580.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\" alt=\"Francesco Guerrero brought a photograph of his wife and Guadalupe Hernandez shows a photograph of her sister during a news conference for the victims and the missing in Erwin, Tennessee, on Sunday.\" class=\"image__dam-img image__dam-img--loading\" onload=\"this.classList.remove('image__dam-img--loading')\" onerror=\"imageLoadError(this)\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuhshi00063b6milxii6kg@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Family members of the missing continue to wait in agony for a sliver of news about their loved ones\u2019 whereabouts at a time when many communities are still plagued by a lack of food, water, power and communications. Helene\u2019s robust wind force and\u00a0powerful floods unleashed over\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/10\/01\/weather\/hurricane-helene-path-of-destruction-climate-dg\/index.html\">500 miles of deadly destruction<\/a>\u00a0from Florida to the Southern Appalachians last week.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuhshi00073b6m7p5oj9fh@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            At least two workers at Impact Plastics said they were told to keep working last Friday, just over a mile from a hospital where\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/09\/27\/us\/unicoi-county-hospital-tennessee-flooding-helene\/index.html\">more than 50 people had to be rescued<\/a>\u00a0from the roof due to high floodwaters that same day. Meanwhile, the company denies those claims and says all employees had been told to leave the facility at least 45 minutes \u201cbefore the gigantic force of the flood hit the industrial park,\u201d it wrote in a Thursday night statement.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuhshi00083b6m0ua8rh3g@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Both the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation\u00a0and the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration are now\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Jobs4_TN\/status\/1841635039760531604\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">investigating<\/a>\u00a0the workplace fatalities.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuhshi00093b6mm75v3tv3@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Across six states,\u00a0\ufeffmore than\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/10\/03\/us\/helene-recovery-roads-water-power\/index.html\">200 people have died<\/a>\u00a0from the impacts of Hurricane Helene \u2013 a number officials fear\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/10\/01\/us\/north-carolina-asheville-hurricane-helene-aftermath\/index.html\">could rise<\/a>\u00a0as rescue operations and relief efforts for affected areas continue\u00a0one week after Helene made landfall.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuhcsv00003b6m4khvik5s@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            A preliminary review of the September 27\u00a0flooding event showed all employees had left the plant less than an hour after power went out at the facility and public warning alerts were sent to cell phones, Impact Plastics said in a statement to CNN Thursday.\u00a0Supervisors \u201cdid not prohibit its employees from leaving\u201d and \u201cdid not threaten anyone with discharge from employment,\u201d Impact Plastics said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuiw2v000g3b6m35crzlxl@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The company\u2019s claims that its management didn\u2019t stop anyone from leaving don\u2019t line up with what Mendoza family attorney Greg Coleman has heard from others, he told CNN\u2019s \u201cThe Source with Kaitlin Collins\u201d on Thursday.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuiw2v000h3b6m2fwkx261@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cThe problem with that narrative is that\u2019s not what a lot of people are saying or agreeing with. In fact, the exact opposite,\u201d Coleman said. \u201cWe\u2019ve already talked to several that, let\u2019s just say, are opposed to what the company is saying.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuiw2v000i3b6m3jikwf41@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Senior management was the last to leave about 45 minutes after the plant had been closed and all other employees had been dismissed, the company said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuiw2v000j3b6mzjpigbya@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cThe findings are that employees were told to leave the plant at least 45 minutes before the gigantic force of the flood hit the industrial park,\u201d Gerald O\u2019Connor, founder, president and CEO of Impact Plastics, said in a video statement attached to the company\u2019s Thursday statement. \u201cTo our knowledge, no one perished while on company property.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuiw2v000k3b6mpoebnicg@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            An employee who made it out of the building safely told\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xYfH8nftFpw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WCYB<\/a>\u00a0that when he asked if he could leave work after seeing a flooded parking lot, he said he was told no.\u00a0Another employee, Jacob Ingram, told\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.wvlt.tv\/2024\/10\/01\/they-told-me-no-impact-plastics-employee-says-company-could-have-saved-lives-unicoi-county\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CNN affiliate WVLT<\/a>\u00a0he was told, \u201cno, not yet\u201d when he asked to leave.\n    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm1uupjvj00033b6mv78vljuu@published\" class=\"image image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"still_21012311_38303.035_still.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\" data-original-ratio=\"0.5624\" data-original-height=\"1406\" data-original-width=\"2500\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/still-21012311-38303-035-still.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\">\n       <picture class=\"image__picture\"><source height=\"1406\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/still-21012311-38303-035-still.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1406\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(min-width: 960px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/still-21012311-38303-035-still.jpg?q=w_1015,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1406\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/still-21012311-38303-035-still.jpg?q=w_1160,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1406\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(max-width: 479px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/still-21012311-38303-035-still.jpg?q=w_680,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/still-21012311-38303-035-still.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\" alt=\"Storm damage from Hurricane Helene is seen at Impact Plastics Inc. in Erwin, Tennessee.\" class=\"image__dam-img image__dam-img--loading\" onload=\"this.classList.remove('image__dam-img--loading')\" onerror=\"imageLoadError(this)\" height=\"1406\" width=\"2500\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuiw2v000l3b6m5ggps7o7@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Sedans and pick-up trucks were submerged in brown, murky, fast-moving water as high winds roared in the background, as seen in a video taken by Ingram, who told WVLT he believed lives could have been saved if people left earlier. In one video, more than half of one company building was swallowed by floodwaters.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuiw2v000m3b6m2q1hlw5k@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Impact Plastics said its parking lot is in a low-lying area and prone to pooling water, but their review showed water in the lot was about 6 inches deep around the time people were dismissed.\u00a0The \u201cfront of the plant appears to have been passable,\u201d the company said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuiw2v000n3b6mx77p7ve1@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cSubsequent analysis of recorded video footage and photographs has identified both current and missing employees who left the property of Impact Plastics and remained on South Industrial Drive for approximately 45 minutes after the plant\u2019s closure,\u201d the preliminary review said. \u201cThis group has since been either rescued or reported as missing or deceased.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuiw2v000o3b6mop05qbs6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            When the first shift at the company started at 7 a.m. CT on Friday, September 27, there was no flooding alert or warning, Impact Plastics claims. Water started to pool in the parking lot around 10:35 a.m., the power in the plant went out at 10:39 a.m. and public warnings were sent to cell phones around a minute later, according to the company.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuiw2v000p3b6m1xq3zp5o@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            However, multiple flood and storm alerts, along with public warnings from the National Weather Service, were issued for the area including the Tennessee plastics plant prior to the start of the workers\u2019 last shift. A flood watch, which included warnings of Helene\u2019s rain, was issued for the area <a href=\"https:\/\/mesonet.agron.iastate.edu\/vtec\/#2024-O-NEW-KMRX-FA-A-0007\/USCOMP-N0Q-202409251500\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">on Tuesday<\/a> and a flash flood warning <a href=\"https:\/\/mesonet.agron.iastate.edu\/vtec\/#2024-O-NEW-KMRX-FF-W-0045\/USCOMP-N0Q-202409271310\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">was issued at 9:14 a.m. local time that Friday<\/a>.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuigpx000e3b6mv2jtk5g8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cMove to higher ground now. Act quickly to protect your life,\u201d the latter flash flood warning urged.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uujbne000u3b6mlzte1l37@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cEmployees were directed to leave the plant property within minutes of the power outage and certainly no later than 10:50 AM,\u201d\u00a0which was communicated in both English and Spanish, the company said. Senior management, including O\u2019Connor, went through the facility to attempt to move the company\u2019s server and important documents, and were the last people to leave around 11:35 a.m., it said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uujbne000v3b6m4o9jimr8@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            O\u2019Connor ordered a review the day after the flooding, he said in his video statement, noting he and the company released the statement because of \u201cdeath threats,\u201d but did not provide additional details on the alleged threats.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uujbne000w3b6mbx0sbp3t@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Employers have eight hours to report a workplace death, TOSHA said, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tn.gov\/workforce\/employees\/safety-health\/tosha-redirect\/fatality--hospitalization-amputation-reporting.html#:~:text=Employers%20are%20required%20by%20law,321%2DOSHA%20(6742).\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">citing Tennessee law<\/a> in a Wednesday news release. The agency, who is working with TBI to investigate, <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/Jobs4_TN\/status\/1841635039760531604\/photo\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hadn\u2019t yet received a fatality report<\/a> from Impact Plastics as of Wednesday evening. It was not immediately clear if there were any workplace deaths, as the company\u2019s founder says nobody perished on company property. The preliminary report from the company also said, to its knowledge, no one was trapped inside the plant or on the premises.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uujbne000x3b6mvwisxic3@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            CNN has reached out to the Unicoi Emergency Management Agency for comment but has not heard back.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uujbne000y3b6mtol1tkzu@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cIn times like these, words feel inadequate to express the depth of sorrow we are all feeling,\u201d the company said in its preliminary review. \u201cThe recent flood has devastated our plant and, more tragically, taken the lives of some of our dear colleagues and friends. Our hearts go out to their families and loved ones.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uv342k00003b6m6gmvioyy@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The Mendoza family is heartbroken as they try to heal from losing Bertha, her son, Guillermo Mendoza told CNN on Thursday.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uwpj3a00043b6mehjaak6t@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cShe always prioritized the safety of her grandchildren, her children,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s just the kind of person she was to always check up on her family.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uys0ak00003b6mo8qtipee@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            The family had just celebrated Mendoza\u2019s 56th birthday last month. Now they are planning for the funeral they never expected, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gofundme.com\/f\/in-memory-of-bertha-mendoza-en-memoria-de-bertha-mendoza\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GoFundMe<\/a> campaign to pay for her funeral expenses.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uwsiig00073b6mm7bwyj07@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cWe\u2019re just trying to heal as a family and bury my mother with dignity,\u201d Guillermo Mendoza said. \u201cThere\u2019s a time to heal and it\u2019s right now with our family, and there will become a time to fight, but right now, we\u2019re just trying to come together and heal as a family.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uxe0yl00023b6mdunqxvwh@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Employee Monica Hernandez also lost her life in the floodwaters, her family said.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uy09mr00063b6m194bmdgm@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cShe always had a smile on,\u201d her niece Elizabeth Ramirez told <a href=\"https:\/\/www.univision.com\/shows\/noticiero-univision\/el-ultimo-mensaje-de-una-hispana-que-murio-tras-el-azote-del-huracan-helene-dile-a-mis-hijos-que-los-quiero-video?utm_campaign=Univision+Noticias&amp;utm_content=sprout&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=facebook&amp;fbclid=IwY2xjawFqMQNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHX2LyAIQeGr0HOC0dR4FfflqM0RK_eFsFfJsFzt74MezEu3yVqEX48Vtdg_aem_WH-WV3_Wft-39GzANTBh1w\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Univision<\/a>. \u201cShe was always very happy. You couldn\u2019t wipe that smile off her face.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuktat00183b6mnlxnr1j1@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            It was a different story for Robert Jarvis, another Impact Plastics employee who managed to escape safely, he told\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=xYfH8nftFpw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WCYB<\/a>. He made it with the help of a man driving a four-by-four who picked up him and others, effectively saving his life.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uzqxy3000b3b6m541hk9m4@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Jarvis reported to work on Friday morning, despite the area experiencing flooding from Helene\u2019s wrath,\u00a0when the power went out at the factory, \ufeffhe told\u00a0the station. Shortly after, another employee texted him and told him the parking lot had flooded, so he went to move his car to higher ground \u2013 there wasn\u2019t a dry spot on the lot, he said.\n    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cm1uuq94y00053b6mfqk7ccf6@published\" class=\"image image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"USATSI_24394660.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6668\" data-original-height=\"1667\" data-original-width=\"2500\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24394660.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{\" image--eq-extra-small=\"\">\n       <picture class=\"image__picture\"><source height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(min-width: 1280px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24394660.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(min-width: 960px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24394660.jpg?q=w_1015,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(min-width: 480px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24394660.jpg?q=w_1160,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><source height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\" media=\"(max-width: 479px)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24394660.jpg?q=w_680,c_fill\/f_webp\" type=\"image\/webp\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/usatsi-24394660.jpg?q=w_1110,c_fill\" alt=\"Candles are set out in the shape of a cross where almost 200 people gathered for a candlelight vigil on Thursday for the Erwin, Tennessee, flood victims.\" class=\"image__dam-img image__dam-img--loading\" onload=\"this.classList.remove('image__dam-img--loading')\" onerror=\"imageLoadError(this)\" height=\"1667\" width=\"2500\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuktat00193b6mhms3f52v@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cWe had one way in, one way out,\u201d Jarvis said. \u201cAnd when they told us we could leave, the one way out was blocked off, so we were stuck in traffic on that road, waiting to see what we\u2019re going to do.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuktat001a3b6mtubqp38g@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            A truck owned by a neighboring company and driven by its employee picked up some factory employees, according to Impact Plastics, but rising water tipped over the truck and \u201cfive employees and a contractor aboard the truck went missing,\u201d the company said in its statement.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuktat001b3b6m27llfq4g@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Five others who were also on the truck when it tipped over made their way to safety and were later evacuated, according to the factory.\u00a0Senior management called emergency responders for help and a National Guard helicopter safely airlifted the five employees, the company said in a statement.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuktat001c3b6mufuqqfod@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cIt hurts knowing that they didn\u2019t make it, and I did,\u201d Jarvis said, fighting tears.\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuktat001d3b6myfcq1swi@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            Now Jarvis just has one question for Impact Plastics: \u201cWhy\u2019d you make us work that day? Why? We shouldn\u2019t have worked. We shouldn\u2019t have been there. None of us should have been there.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cm1uuktat001e3b6mvutueb9s@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n            \u201cIt breaks my heart for them, people that we lost,\u201d Jarvis said. \u201cI worked with them every day, and we were like family, we caught up, we joke(d) there. And it broke my heart to see that they died and that they didn\u2019t make it all because of greed, I think.\u201d\n    <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"fluid\"\r\n     data-ad-layout-key=\"-fb+5w+4e-db+86\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-3711241968723425\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"7910942971\"><\/ins>\r\n<script>\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<br \/><div data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1660802\">\r\n<\/div>\r\n<script>(function(w,q){w[q]=w[q]||[];w[q].push([\"_mgc.load\"])})(window,\"_mgq\");\r\n<\/script>\r\n<br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/10\/04\/us\/impact-plastics-tennessee-workers-helene\/index.html\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>CNN \u00a0\u2014\u00a0 The last time El\u00edas Ibarra Mendoza heard his wife\u2019s voice, she was pleading for his help. \u201c\u2018Tell my kids that I love them very much and I won\u2019t &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/?p=110525\" class=\"more-link\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8629],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-110525","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-u-s","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110525","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=110525"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110525\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=110525"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=110525"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hotvideos24.online\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=110525"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}