Father trekked 12 hours to get to daughter's wedding after Hurricane Helene

David Jones made the journey from South Carolina to Tennessee.

October 1, 2024, 8:10 AM

A father's love was on full display for his daughter's wedding when what would have been a two hour car ride to her venue turned into a seven hour slog due to the difficult road conditions in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

"I just went to the back of my car and grabbed my backpack -- and off I went on foot," David Jones told "Good Morning America" of his decision to walk from South Carolina to Tennessee through the hurricane aftermath to get to his daughter Elizabeth Marquez's nuptials.

David Jones and Elizabeth Marquez appear on "Good Morning America," Oct. 1, 2024.
ABC News

Through downed trees and debris, using the flashlight on his phone, Jones said he walked the rest for a total of five hours.

"I sunk down in the mud. It was like quicksand, right down to my knees -- trapped, can't move -- and then slowly moved each leg until I [could] get back up to more solid ground," Jones recalled.

David Jones trekked 12 hours to get to his daughter's wedding after Hurricane Helene.
Courtesy David Jones

Along the way, Jones got some help from a trooper who was able to drive him a little closer to his destination.

"He said, 'Sir, are you the one that's trying to get your daughter's wedding?'"

Finally arriving home on Saturday morning after a 12 hour trek, Jones had just enough time to shower and head to the church to walk his daughter down the aisle.

David Jones trekked 12 hours to get to his daughter's wedding after Hurricane Helene.
Courtesy David Jones

"He walked me down the aisle -- it wasn’t until the reception that he -- explained the story of what he had gone through," Marquez told "GMA."

"It was an emotional roller coaster for me because I love my dad very much," she added.

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