I SURVIVED: I Felt Like I Had Escaped Through Death

Summary

Cold Case Files Podcast Summary

Episode: I SURVIVED: I Felt Like I Had Escaped Through Death
Host: Paula Barros
Release Date: July 26, 2025

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Introduction

In this gripping episode of Cold Case Files, host Paula Barros delves into the harrowing true story of Jennifer, a 19-year-old nurse from Palm Springs, California, who survived a brutal abduction and assault by a serial killer. This detailed account not only highlights Jennifer's terrifying ordeal but also underscores the relentless pursuit of justice by law enforcement, ultimately leading to the apprehension of her attacker, Andrew Urdiales.

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Jennifer's Life Before the Incident

Jennifer was a dedicated nurse working the night shift at a handicapped children's center. She was passionate about her job but faced challenges with punctuality due to an unfamiliar bus schedule. Her commitment to her work was evident when she shared:

"I loved my job" [03:00]

However, the pressure of potential reprimand for tardiness weighed heavily on her, setting the stage for the events that would unfold.

---

The Fateful Night

On a summer night in September 1992, Jennifer arrived early at her bus stop to prepare for her shift. While waiting in line at a store, she saw her bus pass by, triggering a panic about being late. In that vulnerable moment, a stranger offered her a ride.

"Excuse me, do you need a ride?" [03:26]

Despite initial reservations about accepting a ride from an unknown individual, Jennifer’s fear of losing her job compelled her to accept.

---

The Abduction

The following morning, after being dropped off at work, Jennifer encountered the same man offering another ride. Trusting her judgment, she accepted once more, unaware of the terror that awaited her.

"I need a ride. He's leaving. If he were some sort of psycho, why would he just leave?" [04:00]

Shortly after, the man revealed his true nature, transforming from a seemingly benign individual to a vicious attacker. He forcibly restrained Jennifer, tying her hands with twine and escalating the situation to unimaginable horror.

"He was just pure evil, and it was like a nightmare coming to life." [08:27]

---

The Ordeal

Jennifer endured relentless physical and psychological abuse. Her attacker, Andrew Urdiales, was a known serial killer responsible for the murders of eight women. During the assault, Jennifer experienced moments of despair and a fleeting sense of peace when she believed she had died.

"I felt like I had escaped through death and I was content." [10:10]

However, her survival instincts kicked in, enabling her to fight back against the restraints despite overwhelming fear and pain.

"I prayed to God and I thought rationally and logically instead of thinking emotionally." [24:48]

---

Rescue and Investigation

Jennifer’s survival was not only a testament to her resilience but also to the advancements in forensic technology and dedicated investigative work. Five years after the attack, in 1997, Jennifer was contacted by the police who had apprehended Urdiales in Indiana following a tip-off.

"This guy did this to you five years ago. He knows your name." [23:06]

Urdiales confessed to his crimes, providing detailed accounts that matched Jennifer's experiences, including specific information about her life and the assault.

"He knew everything about me, and he told the cops everything." [24:04]

---

Justice Served

Urdiales was sentenced to death in 2002. However, due to a moratorium on executions in Illinois starting in 2003, his sentence was effectively nullified. Tragically, Urdiales was found dead in his prison cell in 2018, an apparent suicide by hanging.

---

Jennifer’s Reflection

Jennifer attributes her survival to her ability to remain calm and focused on her daughter's safety during the catastrophic 2010 Tennessee flood, which serves as a parallel to her previous ordeal. Her strength and determination were pivotal in overcoming both natural disasters and personal trauma.

"I survived because I was a mom and I wanted to take care of my kid." [39:08]

Jennifer emphasizes the importance of rational thinking and faith in overcoming life-threatening situations.

"I prayed to God and I thought rationally and logically instead of thinking emotionally." [24:48]

---

Conclusion

This episode of Cold Case Files masterfully recounts Jennifer's terrifying experience and eventual survival, highlighting the critical role of forensic breakthroughs and dedicated law enforcement in solving cold cases. Jennifer's story is not only one of unimaginable horror but also of incredible resilience and the relentless pursuit of justice.

---

Notable Quotes

• Jennifer: "I loved my job." [03:00]
• Jennifer's Attacker: "He was just pure evil, and it was like a nightmare coming to life." [08:27]
• Jennifer: "I felt like I had escaped through death and I was content." [10:10]
• Jennifer: "I survived because I was a mom and I wanted to take care of my kid." [39:08]
• Jennifer's Attacker: "I felt happy. And I knew that I was. That I had passed away." [14:20]

---

This episode serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the strength of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Transcript

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[Marissa Pinson]

I'm Marissa Pinson, and before we get into this week's episode, I just want to remind you that episodes of I Survived as well as the A and E classic podcast, Cold Case Files, City Confidential and American justice are all available ad free on the new A and E Crime and Investigation channel on Apple Podcasts and Apple plus for just $4.99 a month or $39.99 a year. And now onto the show. This episode contains subject matter that may be disturbing to some listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

[Jennifer]

He started sucking on my neck and I just laid there staring at the.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

Roof thinking, some people are sick.

[Jennifer]

Real people.

[Neely Ann]

That's when I opened the front door and I saw my car was already underwater. So obviously I wasn't going anywhere and obviously my parents were not getting to.

[Marissa Pinson]

Me who faced death.

[Jennifer]

And then I thought, I'm gonna be raped at least. What else? I don't know. But raped definitely, and live to tell how. And I said, you're. You're a coward. You're a moron. You're not gonna kill me. You're not gonna kill me. I was taunting him. I wanted him to go, yes, I will, and just shoot me.

[Marissa Pinson]

This is. I survived. It's September 1992 in Palm Springs, California. Jennifer, a 19 year old nurse, is working the night shift at a handicapped children's center.

[Jennifer]

I had been late a few times because I wasn't used to the bus schedule. And the lady that I relieved, she told me if I was late again, she was going to have to tell the boss. And that kind of scared me because I was afraid to get in trouble or even lose my job, which I loved.

[Marissa Pinson]

One night, Jennifer arrived at the bus stop early and went to a store to buy food. While waiting in line, she saw her bus go past.

[Jennifer]

And I just started to panic and looking at my watch, thinking, I'm going to be late, I'm going to get fired. And then I just hear the sweetest little voice say, excuse me, do you need a ride?

[Jennifer's Attacker]

And I thought, yeah, I do, but you're a stranger.

[Jennifer]

So my initial reaction was I looked at him and I said, no, no thanks, I don't need a ride. Thank you. Though.

[Marissa Pinson]

The stranger rolled up his car window and began to drive away.

[Jennifer]

He was just gonna leave. And so I had a split second to think and I was thinking, I need a ride. He offered me a ride. I'm gonna lose my job. He's leaving. If he were some sort of psycho, why would he just leave? I think he would come try to drag me into the car or something. And so I actually yelled to him, yeah, okay, yeah, I'll take a ride. And he was just so nice and he was just geeky and just soft spoken and in stature physically smaller than me. And of course my mentality back then, when I was a teenager, I thought I could easily beat him up if he were to do anything to me. When we were pulling up to my work, you, he said, so how about I pick you up in the morning and we go to breakfast? So I thought I'm just gonna give him a fake number that always tells him you're not interested. They call it once and then you never hear from him again. And he was totally nice, totally friendly. And I was just thinking, oh gosh, how sad for him when he calls that number and it's not the right number. And so I just played it off. Okay, bye, Have a nice night. Yes, he says, yes, I will, I'll give you a call. And I said, okay, see you later. And he dropped me off when her.

[Marissa Pinson]

Shift ended early the next morning, Jennifer walked to a nearby bus stop. A car pulled up beside her.

[Jennifer]

It was Him. It was just him from the night before. The happy go lucky. Nice, still little scrawny guy that was totally harmless. And I thought, okay, I'll get a ride home with him, then I'm never gonna talk to him again, you know? And so I got in the car and there was just a little talk about how was your night? Oh, good. How was your night? Just typical stuff. And then all of a sudden, he said, you know that phone number you gave me? And I thought, oh, gosh. And he said, that was the wrong effing phone number. And he just turned into a completely different person and started yelling, started cussing. He just became something that I had never seen before. He just became evil. He's cursing. He's turned into another person. He. I had no time to think. I didn't know if he was just going to lash out and then be nice. I didn't know what was happening. It was really confusing. Then he. He just pulled over really quick. And then I saw a knife come out. I saw a gun. He pushed my head into the dashboard, and he pulled my arms behind my back. And he started pulling twine out from under the seat and tying my hands with twine. And I started asking him if it was a joke, what was he gonna do to me? And he said, shut up, bitch. And he leaned over and he locked my door. And he put my seatbelt on me. And then he pulled the lever on the side of my seat. And then he just pulled. Pushed my chest. And I went all the way back. And then he just kept driving. And I just stared at the roof.

[Marissa Pinson]

Jennifer's abductor drove her out of the city into the surrounding desert.

[Jennifer]

It is miles and miles of deserted desert with mattresses and burnt couches. And if you see a car out there that's kind of weird, you wonder what they're doing out there. And then I thought, I'm gonna be raped, at least. What else? I don't know, but raped, definitely.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

I can't even put into words how I felt. All I could think of, though, was that I made a bad choice. And I knew something bad was gonna happen. And I knew I was with this person that wasn't gonna show me any mercy, no matter what I said or what I did. Cause I tried to say everything. And his goal was to execute a plan. You could see it in his eyes.

[Marissa Pinson]

Jennifer's attacker is a serial killer. Andrew Urdialis has already raped and murdered four women.

[Jennifer]

It was like he was like a demon. I've never seen a person act like that ever.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

And just looking at him, he looked different.

[Jennifer]

If I would have seen what he looked like now the night before, I would have never went near that car. It was just oozing out of his body.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

He was just pure evil, and it was like a nightmare coming to life.

[Jennifer]

He pulled over and he climbed into the passenger seat where I was at. He took my shoes off, and he started hitting me with him in the face and screaming at me, screaming at me and calling me a bitch. And he took his knife out and he just started trying to cut my shorts off of me. Then he. He cut my underwear off of me on both sides and just pulled them out. And that was the first time I thought, he's done this before. He was just, doot, doot, doot, doot, doot. You know, this was nothing for him. He's done it before.

[Marissa Pinson]

Jennifer was sexually assaulted.

[Jennifer]

And then he grabbed my underwear. And then he just started doing that to my face, like, punching out my mouth. And he started shoving my underwear down my throat.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

And then he got my bra and he tied it around my head to hold the underwear in. And then he told me to tell him that I loved him. My mouth was full of underwear, and I couldn't say anything. But I knew if I tried to, it might save my life. So I tried to say it. And I eventually dislodged the underwear into my mouth. And then I just started saying, can't. Can't say it with the. With this stuff on my face. I tried to move my head. I couldn't do anything with my hands.

[Jennifer]

So he took it off.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

And he just got close to my face and looked me in the eyes. And he said it again. He said, tell me you love me. And so I said, I love you.

[Jennifer]

And he slapped me. And he said, say it like you mean it, bitch.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

And I thought to myself, oh, my God, I'm only 19. I haven't told anybody that I loved him. I don't know how to say this. So I said it again, and it just. It just wasn't right. And so then he started strangling me. I just sat there looking into his eyes, thinking, this is gonna be the last thing I see before I die. And thinking, too, what have I done so bad ever in my life to deserve to be treated like this? And then I decided not to look at him anymore. So I shut my eyes and I heard ringing in my ears really loud. And my face felt really hot. And then suddenly I just saw white. And I don't know how to explain any of it. But I felt peace. And that's when I believe he killed me. I had no pain. I had no fear. I was I felt like I was free from it. I felt like I had escaped through death and I was content.

[Neely Ann]

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[Marissa Pinson]

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[Jennifer]

Just try to relax or be trapped.

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[Marissa Pinson]

Jennifer is abducted by a stranger and driven into the desert. Her attacker is a serial killer who has already murdered four women. After being sexually assaulted and strangled, Jennifer believes she is dead.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

I felt like I had escaped through death and I was content.

[Jennifer]

I didn't know how I got there, but I knew.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

I felt happy. And I knew that I was. That I had passed away. And then suddenly I started feeling things happening to me again. I started having feeling back in my body, in the side of my head, and then a bash to the chest.

[Jennifer]

And then I saw his eyes close to me like this. And then far away, and then close again and far away. But I couldn't.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

I didn't know what was happening.

[Jennifer]

And then all of a sudden, I.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

Just came back into it.

[Jennifer]

And I could feel my whole body. And I knew the situation again. And he was bashing me back and forth and hitting my head on the side of the car and punching my chest. And he was reviving me because I think he didn't want me to die so quickly.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

And then I just told him, kill me, please just kill me. Cause I knew he was gonna.

[Jennifer]

And he kinda just looked at me and it was a look of, no.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

I'm gonna have some fun with you before I kill you.

[Jennifer]

He started sucking on my neck. And I just laid there staring at.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

The roof, thinking some people are sick.

[Jennifer]

And thinking none of my friends are.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

Gonna know where I'm at when I do die. I have no way to tell anyone anything. And I just stared out the window.

[Jennifer]

And I saw a bird.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

And I thought, I wish I could tell that bird to call 911 or something. My thoughts were just ridiculous. There was nothing that was gonna save me. And then I felt his slobber going.

[Jennifer]

Down in between my breasts.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

And I was just laying there in disgust.

[Jennifer]

And then when he was done sucking my neck, he lifted his face up and he just looked me in the face and. And then he smiled. And that's when I realized he wasn't sucking my neck.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

That's.

[Jennifer]

He tried to take a bite out of my neck. And he had skin and blood in his teeth. He opened the door and he pulled me out. And I stood up and I saw how far away the road was. And the cars looked like ants, they were so small.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

There was a burnt down building. There was trash in the desert. Everything just seemed so evil.

[Jennifer]

And he put the gun in my mouth like that. And he said, I'm gonna pull it. And I just went squid in my eyes. And then he didn't pull it. And then he put it back up against my head. And I said, you're a coward. You're a moron. You're not gonna kill me. You're not gonna kill me. I was taunting him. I wanted him to go, yes, I will, and just shoot me. I wanted to die.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

I was. It was. I was. I was done with it. I was.

[Jennifer]

I didn't know what his plans were. He was going to torture me for just a day, maybe a week, maybe a year. I didn't know and I didn't care. All I knew was I was going to die in the end. So I would prefer to die now than be tortured like this. So I yelled at him and called him names and told him to kill me. And then I could just see that he was going to change his plans. He kind of looked a little bit confused, and he left me standing there. And I just stood there thinking, now what? What's going to top? What have you. What you already have done to me, you know, now what are you going to do? He pops the trunk and he gets out two bags. And then my heart just sunk because there was knife blades sticking out of the bags. And I just thought, oh, my gosh, he's gonna cut me up.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

And so I just begged him to kill me, and he wouldn't.

[Jennifer]

My arms are still tied behind my back. He lifts my feet way up in the air, and I just fall into the trunk. And then he slams it shut. And then he gets in the driver's side and starts the car and starts to drive back towards civilization. So I started to think, I know he's bringing me somewhere else. And I know he's bringing me somewhere else because I just ruined his plan because I told him to kill me here. And it made him a little confused looking and he wanted to be in control. I did just start to panic because I thought, who am I kidding? I'm in a trunk now and I have my hands tied. He's bringing me somewhere else. It was another feeling of, I'm doomed. What am I going to do now? And so I started to panic and I started to cry and I started to shake, and then I just stopped. And I thought, I'm just gonna pray.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

I just said, God, you really need to hear me right now because I'm in a really bad situation and I'm with a guy that's like the devil and I'm gonna be cut up into pieces. And I really need to know that you're here right now because you're the only person that I can call.

[Jennifer]

Then I just got adrenaline and hysterical Strength and confidence all of a sudden. And I didn't feel scared. And then I just started going like that and trying to pull my arms apart. And I kept doing it and maybe for a minute nothing would happen and I wouldn't quit. And I just kept trying it. And then I heard pop, pop, pop, pop, pop. And the twine was coming off. And then eventually it all came off.

[Jennifer's Attacker]

And I was just like, oh my gosh.

[Jennifer]

Okay, I got that done. Now what? Now I need to get out of the trunk. And so I went like this and I felt where the middle of the trunk would be. And then there was a bunch of a board, the carpeted board over that. So I started ripping it all off and then I twisted the lever and then I saw light coming all in. We were on a road that was a two way road and it was. It had a lot of cars that would travel on it. It was on the outskirts of the town. He was driving pretty fast and I could hear him talking under his breath and pushing the gas. And then he got stuck in the sand. That's when I threw the trunk open and I jumped out and my hand got caught and I started trying to pull my hand out. And then his door opened. And when I saw his door open, I just ripped my hand out of there and I just took off running. And I kept thinking to myself, don't look back. Because I knew he was behind me. I didn't know if I wanted to know how close he was, but I kept thinking, don't look back, don't look back. My curiosity got the best of me and I turned around and looked back and he was chasing me down the road with a machete. And when I saw that, I thought, I'm still getting away, but I need help, I need someone to pick me up, I need a ride. And the car pulled alongside of me. And when they were going the same direction as me, I just grabbed onto their side view mirror and I was running with their car and banging, banging on them and trying to grab at them. And the window was halfway down and the woman said, no, go, go faster. And he rolled his window up. It was an elderly couple and they just left me. And then I saw a truck coming towards me. And so I was just screaming, putting my hands up and running towards that truck as fast as I could. And the next thing I knew, they were opening the doors and pulling me into the truck. The only evidence they had was the size of his teeth that they measured on my neck. Nothing else. They had no tire. Tire Prints, tire tracks. Because when they went to look for them, a bulldozer had already run over them to clean the sides of the street. Just everything went in his face favor in the way of evidence. There was. There was nothing but the teeth marks.

[Marissa Pinson]

Jennifer heard nothing from the police for five years. Then one morning in 1997, a police car arrived at her house.

[Jennifer]

They told me to come down to the police station. So I went down there, and they said that they might have caught the guy who had done this to me five years ago. And I was like, oh, my gosh. And they said, okay, we want you to look away, and we're gonna put down some pictures. And so I looked at the pictures, and right away, he stood out. And I said, it's this one. The detective kind of sat back, picked up the picture, and he said, well, this is the guy that did this to you. He knows your name. He knows everything about you. And this guy also is a serial killer who killed eight women, and you're the only one that got away.

[Marissa Pinson]

Police had already arrested her attacker at Wolf Lake in Indiana after a tip from a prostitute. A gun registered in his name was linked to the murders of two women found floating in the lake in 1996.

[Jennifer]

So he was arrested in Chicago, and when they arrested him, he sat down and he just started talking about everything. And he told them, well, I guess I'm not going to work today. And you might want to call the cops out in California because they'll have some information for you, too. And there was one that got away, and her name was Jennifer.

[Marissa Pinson]

Andrew Urdialis confessed to the murder of eight women. Four of his victims were killed after he attacked Jennifer. He was sentenced to death in 2002. But in 2003, executions were halted in Illinois. Erdiales was found dead in his prison cell in 2018. The cause of death was ruled suicide by hanging.

[Jennifer]

I survived because I prayed to God and I thought rationally and logically instead of thinking emotionally. And in thinking like that, I was able to figure out the way to get out of this situation instead of being a victim and panicking and letting the situation take me. He confessed to killing all eight women, and he knew details of everything. He knew color of their underwear, the styles of their shoes, the material of their shoes. He knew my address. He knew where I lived, where I worked. He knew everything about me, and he told the cops everything. And his story and my story matched exactly.

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[Jennifer]

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[Zebra Representative]

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[Jennifer]

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[Neely Ann]

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[Jennifer]

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[Neely Ann]

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[Jennifer]

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[Jennifer]

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[Jennifer]

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[Marissa Pinson]

It's May 2010 in Nashville, Tennessee. Neelyann, a teacher and solo mother, lives with her four year old daughter. It has been raining constantly for several days.

[Neely Ann]

Well, nothing is that predictable in Nashville, but we have all seasons so I mean we get a little bit of everything and we definitely go through the periods that it rains a lot. So you did hear people on the news talking about, you know, there might be some flooding or. But I mean it wasn't like a panic. This is going to be awful. It was just there was talk that it was a lot more than normal and it had been pretty consistent and constant for five days.

[Marissa Pinson]

On the sixth day of rain, Neely Ann was with her daughter in the living room.

[Neely Ann]

We were sitting on the couch and when I'm Grading my papers. She does her pretend work. So she had all her little pretend papers out. And, you know, my mom had called to check on us because I talked to my mom and dad, you know, every day. And it had been raining a lot. And that's when I got up and I checked outside the door, and I was like, you know, mom, there's some rain in the yard, but, you know, I really think it's going to be fine, really. There wasn't even any on the street yet. It was basically in my yard. In my neighbor's yard, there would be little puddles, and in mine, there really wasn't even what I would consider a puddle. It just looked really, really wet. And, you know, you wouldn't let your kid go play in it because it'd be messy. And so I went back to grading, and, you know, I mean, I had stacks everywhere. It's the end of the semester. And literally, I heard what sounded like if you were at the ocean when the water comes in. But I wasn't at the ocean, so I knew that's not what it was. And I said out loud, I hear water. It's weird because when I stood up, I really didn't even know which direction to go. I just knew that I heard water. And then I happened to turn and look at my sunroom, and it's just one step down, and I could already see there was brown water all the way up to the next level. So, I mean, it was that fast. It's not like trickling in the house. It literally sounds like if you're standing on the ocean and you hear the water come in, that's what it sounds like coming into the house.

[Marissa Pinson]

Alarmed, Nelian rang her mother.

[Neely Ann]

I said, mom, you know, water's coming in everywhere. And so she said, daddy and I are coming. We're on our way. And the time that I'm standing there, it's almost up to the couch now.

[Marissa Pinson]

As the water continued to rise, Neely Ann's main concern was her daughter, Lowell Ann.

[Neely Ann]

I pick her up and, you know, she's four, so she's not a baby anymore. So I've got her, and I've got the two dogs, and I take them to the kitchen countertop because that was the highest thing at that point. I can tell Lolan is scared. Everything is floating. Lolan's baby dolls are floating by. Everything. Computer. I mean, it's all. And like, at one point, the refrigerator's behind me, and Lolan says, mommy, the refrigerator's moving. That's when I Opened the front door, and I saw my car was already underwater. So obviously I wasn't going anywhere. And obviously my parents were not getting to me. My thought was, I did not want to call 911 in front of my daughter because I didn't know how many questions they would ask, how much fright it would cost. I called my mom back, and I said, mom, you know, the water's rising very quickly. My car's underwater. Don't dare come here. I need you to call 911. And she said, you know, well, how bad is it? And I said, I need you to call 911. They need to come get us.

[Marissa Pinson]

911 advised Neely Ann to move everyone up onto her kitchen countertop.

[Neely Ann]

Well, that's where I already was with Lolanne and the dogs. And I, you know, I took a deep breath in. Cause then I thought, okay, if that's the advice I'm getting, this is about to get bad. Because, well, I'm feeling it rising up past my stomach at that point. Automatically, I knew I need to stay calm. I don't need to let her know how serious this is. I guess for me as a mom, that what she needed from me was just primary. And so I had all the fear, I had all the anxiety. I was terrified. I knew deep down, like, it was a very serious situation at that point. I was moving from mentally at the beginning. It was, I am losing everything I own. I cannot believe I'm about to start over as a single mom to I want to get out of here alive with my daughter. I knew when the water was rising that quickly, and I could feel it on my waist, and I could feel it swirling around, and the electricity was still on, and, you know, everything's floating that we had to get to the attic.

[Marissa Pinson]

Neilian climbed up into the attic with.

[Neely Ann]

Her daughter, Lolann, while we were in the attic. I also had to constantly just remind her that it's going to be okay and we're safe. Because you were hearing noises that you don't hear in a house, things breaking and crashing. Because as the water would come in the current, you know, I'm assuming it was furniture falling. You would hear loud thuds, which you wouldn't normally think you would hear with water. But things were falling against the walls. And the furniture that was in the sunroom when we left was in my living room. And stuff that was in the bedroom was floating in the kitchen. And it was. I mean, things were just everywhere. And the sounds were just so eerie. I get her calmed down. And we're reading books and singing songs. And as a mom, I could tell she was calm at that point. She had no idea that our lives were in danger at all. So I continued to play with Lowell Ann. But as I'm doing that, I'm looking over my shoulder, and the water is coming up so quickly. The attic steps probably had about eight steps, and there were two left that were dry. So the water, it definitely was over five feet. And I know if the water rises much more, I'm going to have to start thinking about getting out of here, because there are no windows in my attic. Like, once it got to the attic, that was it for us. We had nowhere else to go. There was no way to climb on the roof or anything like that. And, you know, at the time, you feel safe in the attic. But as the mom, you're watching the water rise. And I knew if it got over my head before I got out of the house, I couldn't even get her out of there. And so I kept playing with her. But again, I said to myself, I've got. I'm giving myself 10 minutes, and if I don't hear from 911, I don't hear. If I don't hear something, we have to leave. At that point, I felt like if I get out of here pretty soon, I can stand on my tiptoes and I can hold her up above my head to get her outside. But I also knew once I got outside, it was going to be higher than that. So, I mean, I didn't want to leave the attic.

[Marissa Pinson]

Neelyann received a text message from her sister.

[Neely Ann]

It said, john is on his way. And John is our family friend. I've known him since I was 10.

[Jennifer]

But.

[Neely Ann]

So I texted her back and said by boat, because, I mean, I knew how high the water was in my house, so that meant it was higher than that outside, you know, because my house, there's two steps, three steps going down into the yard. And she said, no, he's swimming in.

[Marissa Pinson]

Ten minutes later, John reached the house.

[Neely Ann]

We're sitting there, and we're reading books, and I hear hay meals, and I can hear it's coming from the front door. So he comes in, and, I mean, it's all the way up here on him. At that point, when he was standing looking up at me in the attic, and he's standing down here, I can see the movement of the water over his shoulders. Like, I can see how it's moving on him. And he is a very adventurous person, probably too adventurous. Grew up on the water. And when I saw his face, like, I knew this is so serious. He said, we need to get out of here. And I said, okay, well, you know, fire department's supposed to be coming. 911's supposed to be coming. He said, no, we need to go ahead and get out of here. Let me go get something for Lowell land to float on, you know, and at this point, the water's, you know, almost all the way up. You know, all you see are baby dolls and stuff floating around. But he found my brown leather ottoman. And it was, you know, it's a pretty good sized ottoman about that, you know, Lowelland could lay on it flat, and that was as much space as it had. I said, what are we gonna do? And he said, you know, I'm gonna hold onto this end of the ottoman. You stay towards the back beside her, and we're gonna get out of the house. So when we got to the front door, though, I looked at his face and he said, okay, now. And so, I mean, I knew it was gonna be awful. He said, when we get out, it's gonna. This current's really strong, and I'm at the end of the dead end street. So we now have to travel all the way down to the end. And at this point, what you see is the tops of trees and houses. There are no cars. You can see nothing else. And we, of course, are the only people out there. So, I mean, it looks like a. Just deserted. It looks like something you'd see in a movie, like, with, like two people holding onto an ottoman. Out in the middle of, like a brown ocean. All you could see were trees in the tops of houses. So it looked like a deserted thing that you would see in a movie. It was way above my head, definitely above John's head. There was no walking in any way shape. I mean, you definitely had to swim and kick to try and stay, you know, with the current, you know. And at that time, it is still pouring down rain the entire time through every second of the entire thing. So at one point I looked at John and I said, I need you to find a tree or something, like, for us to lean up against, rest against. Because, I mean, at that point my legs were shaking. I mean, you know, physically I was exhausted. And about that time, I looked at the end of the street and my brother's friend, the fireman was at the end of the street and had a canoe. He was with two other men, and they were screaming, stop. Like, stop, stop, stop. They started to canoe towards us. To get to us. And it was so strong that it took three very fit people paddling a canoe to get to us. That's how strong it was.

[Marissa Pinson]

With only enough room for Lowel Ann in the canoe, Neelyann had to swim behind it.

[Neely Ann]

We started going towards the end of the street and it was so amazing how strong it was. I mean, I've been in the ocean so many times and I've never felt anything like that. But the weirdest thing is we got to the end of the street and then we took a left and it was maybe three houses down. Then it starts an incline on the street. There are all these people standing there to see if we make it to safety. We go past, you know, maybe two or three houses. And because the street is on an incline, we literally paddled and you can hear the concrete on the bottom of the canoe. And we got out. At that point, like, it sets in, like we're both just shaking, like uncontrollably because I didn't even really think about, like, how cold the water was. And of course then I'm sure the shock setting in of like, okay, we're alive and we're safe and it's going to be okay.

[Marissa Pinson]

The May 2010 Tennessee flood is considered a once in 1000 year event in some areas. More than 19 inches of rain fell in two days. 21 people died in Tennessee.

[Neely Ann]

If one of us had panicked, if Lolanne had gotten upset or I had allowed fear to take over, you know, it, we would not have been able to all get out safely. I mean, the water was that strong. I wasn't thinking about it at the time, but like, for days my body, I couldn't even hardly move, you know, from holding, trying to hold the ottoman still and kicking and trying to stay with the current. And if at any point one of us had not been on that ottoman and had, you know, not been able to hold on or if she'd fallen off, you know, it would not have ended the same. It wouldn't have. You don't ever really think you're going to be praying, like, let my kid be okay or let me be okay. But at that point, obviously it was very real.

[Jennifer]

So.

[Neely Ann]

But we are okay. So that's what matters. I survived because I'm a mom and I wanted to take care of my kid. You know, I was just able to stay focused, focused on my daughter and, you know, that we were going to be okay. Glass half full, not half empty.

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[Jennifer's Attacker]

All right, unc.

[Neely Ann]

Welcome to McDonald's. Can I take your order, miss?

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