Plumber, water damage expert help elderly woman after SW Miami-Dade home is flooded – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

SOUTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – An elderly couple woke up to a flood of trouble inside their Southwest Miami-Dade home on Christmas Day, but a couple of good Samaritans answered the call for help to save the holidays.

Eighty-five-year-old Carmen Santiago could immediately tell something was amiss Saturday mooring, when she saw the flood of her home completely drenched.

It was an awful situation, especially since she’s trying to care for her husband, who suffered a stroke last week.

“I was scared, because everything was flooding,” she said.

Not knowing what to do, Santiago quickly called her daughter, Carmen Dewan.

“We were overwhelmed. It’s Christmas Day, and my mother called me up panicking,” said Dewan.

Dewan rushed to the house to find her mother trying to sweep out the water.

Since Santiago doesn’t have insurance, Dewan realized they’re going to need backup.

She called her friend Chris Savarots, who’s a plumber.

“I shut the angle stop to the toilet to make sure no more water was coming out,” he said.

But the house was still inundated, and that’s where Juan Matos with Disaster Services intervened.

“We’re here to help her out this morning on Christmas Day,” he said.

Matos loaded up his truck full of gear, drove over to Santiago’s house and got to work.

“Everything is going to be dry. They’re not going to have any mold,” he said.

Santiago said she is beyond thankful for these good Samaritans. Though they may not be the guests she thought she would have over this Christmas, she said she wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Thank you and Merry Christmas to everybody,” she said.

“Yes, thank you,” said Dewan.

Everyone who helped Santiago did so free of charge.

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