It's likely one of those incidents that's forever etched in Wharton Barrett Fire Chief Mark White's mind.

As flood water surrounded and continue to rise in remote Boone County last week, White had to make a quick decision.

Roads were covered by water and the bridge connecting the main road to Ruby Dempsey's home and others on the verge of being wiped out, WCHS reported.

"I was watching water rise at a more rapid rate than I've ever seen," White said told a reporter, adding that he first got no answer when he banged on Dempsey's door.

After knocking on other doors, he returned to the Dempsey house. 

"I was to the point that I was getting ready to kick the door, and I had been squared up with the door and all of a sudden I seen the blinds open on the door."

Then, he had to figure out how to get Dempsey and her daughter to safety.

"You make decisions whenever you're in a moment. I felt it was safer to bring her out of her in a vehicle than what it would have been trying to carry her across that trestle with the spacing of the ties and everything. I drove my pick up across the trestle and loaded her in it, and brought her over."

Then, he went back to work helping others in Boone County.

Charlie Dempsey lauded the fire chief for his heroic actions that saved his mother and sister.

"I owe him everything...Mark don't take no credit. He's got that big of a heart. He's all over the community trying to help."