Wellington Tornado: Aftermath Support

On October 9th, 2024, Rustic Ranches in Wellington FL was hit by an EF3 tornado. It devastated everything in its path. Juan Utuy, Jorge Garcia, and Hector Ytzep are wonderful people and part of our family. They are a joy to work next to every day and they love their horses.

I was on the farm when the tornado came. It was a sound and sight that will haunt me forever. I've left the audio on the first part of the video. Most people would have only thought about saving themselves, but those three boys came running to the horses. Because of them, all the horses lived.

Juan and Jorge were hit with debris, with Juan having a large laceration to his head and taken by ambulance to the hospital and Jorge breaking two ribs. They lost everything. All of their belongings and all of their savings. Hector's shoes were swept off his feet as he was running to the barn.

In time, insurance will cover most of the big costs, such as housing and hospitals. But we could really use some help supporting these three wonderful men who risked their own lives so every human and animal could make it out safe.

Just two weeks ago, we weathered Hurricane Helene in Tryon NC. That was a tough situation to be positive in and the boys always found something to smile about. We arrived back to Florida early so everyone could get home to their families and recover.

We've always tried to take care of everyone that's part of our "family" as much as possible on our own, but I am learning that natural disasters are expensive, and we have been through two "unprecedented" ones in just as many weeks.

If you can give these guys a helping hand, they are so deserving. Thank you to everyone who has reached out and especially to our horses and humans that night. They were incredible.

All of my appreciation,

Samantha Mackenzie