More than 20 years after pulling a mother and her two young daughters from floodwaters during one of Corpus Christi's most devastating weather events, David Farias hopes to reconnect with the family whose lives he helped save.
Farias, now living in San Antonio and working as a musician, has never forgotten the intense encounter from Oct. 24, 2002 — the day three tornadoes spawned from a single powerful thunderstorm system tore through Corpus Christi.
"I think about them sometimes and wonder how they're doing," Farias said. "Those little girls would be grown women now. I'd love to know that they're okay and maybe catch up on their lives."
The most devastating tornado that day struck Del Mar College's West Campus, where instructor James "Buster" Gillis died while helping his students escape a collapsing building — the first tornado-related fatality in Corpus Christi's recorded history. The storms injured at least 20 people and caused extensive property damage across the city's west side.
Farias was working as a contractor that day, shuttling pilots between Corpus Christi International Airport and downtown hotels including the Omni Hotel and Emerald Beach Hotel. As torrential rains and tornadoes pounded the city, he was driving down Leopard Street near the three crosses landmark at the intersection with Crosstown Expressway when he spotted a white car trapped in a flooding intersection.
Inside were a mother and her two young daughters, believed to be about 2 and 3 years old.
"I saw this family in trouble, and I couldn't just drive by," Farias said.
He was not alone in his response. A worker from a nearby detail shop and a homeless person in the area also recognized the family's danger. The three strangers plunged into the floodwaters together and swam toward the stranded vehicle.
Their first priority was the children. Working together, they extracted the two girls from the car just as a CP&L (Central Power and Light) company truck arrived at the scene. The rescuers handed the children to the utility workers, then returned to the submerged car to bring the mother to safety.
The storm system produced 3 separate tornadoes, with the most powerful — rated F2 — devastating Del Mar College's West Campus. The severe weather forced school districts to hold students past normal dismissal times and knocked out power to thousands of homes and businesses.
In the chaotic aftermath, many of the day's smaller acts of heroism went unrecorded.
"It was such an intense moment," Farias said. "We were all just focused on getting them out safely. I'd love to know how their story continued from there."
The two young girls rescued that day would now be in their mid-20s. Farias hopes that by sharing his story, he can reconnect with the family and learn about their lives in the decades since the storm.
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