Hurricane Ian. Fort Myers Beach. Lost everything

Hi everyone, my name is Sheri Lindman Fischer. I am fundraising for our little Island that was hit by hurricane Ian. Fort Myers Beach. 

My family has lost everything. Friends/neighbors/home/vehicles. 

It was hell. It happened so fast. So fast. . Our house completely flooded. We had to escape out of the roof and stood half in our attic/half in the wind/ocean. Water over 12 ft and moving so fast! Then as water receded, we started rescuing people at 3-4am. A hotel floated past us on the roof in 150 mph winds. We heard their screams for help. Trapped under the collapsed roof. My husband and I built a debris bridge and managed to bend some of the roof away. Of 6 people in there, We rescued 5 people, one was a 7 year old boy. Who called me his angel and wouldn’t let me go. To be honest, He was my angel in all the disaster around us. The 6th soul, their sister didn’t make it. . 

Then we made it to our neighbors …climbing over debris. Wading through disgusting water. His wife was alive and we got her but we found him dead in his kitchen window trying to escape. God bless his soul, he was an ambassador for our neighborhood. Always willing to help out and dressed and looked like Jack Sparrow for Halloween to entertain. It happened so fast. We started yelling for anyone high up and with shelter of any kind that we have refugees that need help. 

Everyone who could, came to help. God bless our neighbors. 

Then we started the huge task of digging out another neighbor with dementia and his wife. He refused to leave, she refused to leave her house. So, we decided to stay. Couldn’t Leave them alone. It happened so fast, so fast. They treaded water all night and we yelled back and forth to keep going and let them know they weren’t alone. Then they got trapped in a back bedroom as water receded and couldn’t get out. 

We found them and took them to a home that was damaged but safe and dry. We stayed with them for 3 days until we could get an ambulance to take them off. 

We dug through mud and sewer to find canned tuna and bottled water that had been buried in our house. We lived off that for 3days. 

We lost very special people. 

We lost our only home-collapsed ceiling. Water through the attic. Everything gone. Everything. 

We lost our vehicles. We left with the clothes on our backs.

Need to start over with a vehicle and replacing basic needs:clothes, shoes, everything. Also help some friends with funeral/basic needs costs also. 

Please help. We can disseminate funds and get ourselves going again. 

We are thankful to be alive. It was such a great community. We need help. 

Thank you for anything you may help with. 

Thankful for our friends and family. Thankful to be alive. Exhausted and in dispare over all that is lost.