A family is rejoicing in an “absolute miracle” after a 7-year-old boy survived being thrown by a deadly tornado in Abilene, Texas.
The Lambert family told KWTX-TV they were hiding in a closet as the tornado ripped through their neighborhood over the weekend, utterly destroying their home.
Freddy McKinney, a storm chaser, helped rescue the Lamberts while he was filming the harrowing tornado hover over their house. Wes and Kasey Lambert — along with their daughter Allie and son Lane — found shelter in a closet.
“We could hear the nails coming out of the boards and metal being ripped, but that’s all we could hear,” Kasey Lambert recalled, noting the storm seemed to be moving away from them, so they took off running down the street.
It was at that point, they spotted McKinney.
“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh,” the storm chaser could be heard saying in video footage. “There are people. There are people. Get in the car, get in the car.” Kasey Lambert, carrying Allie, called out for help.
The mother of two had, at some point, been hit by a piece of debris and lost her grip on 7-year-old Lane.
“Lane got sucked up in the tornado,” remembered Kasey Lambert’s cousin, Bradye McQueen. “They couldn’t hold him down. It sucked him up and he flew like 25 feet. They thought he was gone.”
Incredibly, the little boy was found on top of a pile of insulation at another part of the destroyed house. When they found Lane, he had dislocated his shoulder and had severe cuts to his face, likely from a brick.
Every member of the Lambert family — including their dog — was treated medically. They have all been released from the hospital and, while their home is completely collapsed, they are grateful to all be alive and healing.
“It is an absolute miracle,” Kasey Lambert said. “It was strong enough that we shouldn’t have been able to walk away.”
A GoFundMe page has been set up to financially help the Lamberts as they recover.
