Young hero rises amid historic floods in Houston
CYPRESS, TX (KTRK) -- The last thing you think of at 17 years old is saving lives, but for Blake Hughes he found himself in the middle of all the action during the recent floods out in Cypress.
Blake is a senior at Cypress Creek High school by day, but after school he's a junior firefighter. At first, Blake thought he was going to get the day off from school like the rest of his friends, but then Cypress Creek Fire Chief Richard Lieder called everyone in to help.
PHOTOS: Historic flooding hits Houston area
VIDEO: Preparations underway for concert benefiting flood victims
"It's the worst flooding since I've been here, and I've been here for 24 years," Lieder says.
Hughes didn't even hesitate.
"I came in and said put me down on the list. I'm ready to work, put me to work," Hughes says.
VIDEO: Compelling images and your stories from this week's flooding
Blake was assigned to a four-man rescue crew, in a boat, and deployed to one of the hardest-hit areas. For the next 40 hours, Blake and the rest of the firefighters were in and out of flooded houses bringing people to safety.
"People were saying, 'Oh, no, we are okay,' and then two or three hours later we go back and they're going, 'Okay, it's time to go. We're leaving. We're ready,'" Hughes says.
Chief Lieder saw a boy turn into a man that day and his classmates saw the same.
"I found my calling. God put me on this earth for a reason, and I really feel like this is the reason," Hughes says.
Blake will graduate here in the next few weeks and plans to follow in his father's footsteps by attending the fire academy.
VIDEO: Tearful reverend of flooded Cypress church: 'God will provide'
Houston Recovers will be held Friday at Lakewood Church at 8pm. The event is free to the public. Organizers are encouraging people to contribute to the Greater Houston Storm Relief Fund at HoustonRecovers.org.
