A Michigan resident who traveled to Florida after Hurricane Ian to assist with rescue efforts perished from a flesh-eating illness.
When James Hewitt, 54, of Jenison, slipped into a canal while repairing a friend’s wrecked boat in Naples, Florida during Hurricane Ian, he became infected with Vibrio Vulnificus, a bacteria that thrives in warm seawater, and died on October 11.
He had sepsis, organ failure, and low blood pressure as a result of the germs that entered his system as a result of an infected scratch on his leg. His daughter Kendall Smoes, 29, announced his death on Facebook after he was admitted to the hospital.
She said on Facebook, “He had a terrible fight but departed quietly [on October 11] with Joshua, Leah, and I at the bedside.”
According to Kendall, who spoke to CBS Miami, “They weren’t really sure how things were going to go and that really really they urged us to be down here as quickly as possible.”
His death came as a “complete shock” to his family, who claimed that outsiders had not been informed of the dangerous disease.
We were really upset that no one had heard about this, at least not from up here in Michigan.
His fiancée Leah Venlet-Delano told the Detroit News, “It’s an issue now; this is out there and it has been out there, and the locals know about it but the people who go down to assist don’t.”
According to CBS Miami, Florida has had 65 instances of the bacterium this year.
He raced down there on October 5 after witnessing the destruction the Category 4 hurricane had wrought, according to his relatives, who claimed he was the kind of man who would always provide a hand when he could.
Leah told the Detroit News, “He leaped at this chance because he had witnessed, like the rest of us, exactly how awful the storm was.” Jim has always been the kind of guy who would give the shirt off his back, as the saying goes.
On October 8, while assisting an old friend pack up his damaged home, he collapsed and forgot about it after applying antibiotic ointment.
The next morning, he begged his buddy to drive him to the hospital since his leg was “very painful and swollen.”
He was not responding as fast as we had planned, Kendall said on the GoFundMe, so they started therapy right away with the proper medications.
He was sent to the ICU with sepsis after continuing to deteriorate and decrease in the emergency room. He eventually required a total of 5 vasopressors to attempt to sustain his heart and blood pressure.
James was sedated and placed on a ventilator by medical workers on Sunday.
Before the sedation, according to Kendall, she called her father and pleaded with him to fight valiantly while also promising to arrive as soon as she could.
“I sobbed in anxiety while I spoke to him, unsure of whether I would arrive in time,” she said on the website, which has gathered more than $6,500, “The last thing he said to me was that he loved me too.”
Josh Hewitt, 27, and Leah arrived at the hospital on Tuesday, while James passed away on Tuesday night. Kendall arrived at the hospital on Monday.
According to Kendall, “I know my Dad had a great heart filled with love for so many friends and family.”
Leah told the Detroit News, “We’ve truly, really lost someone really wonderful. He was so full of life and love.”
In an effort to prevent others from experiencing James’ plight, the family is now working to increase illness awareness.
“The folks who wish to assist frequently come from places they don’t know well… His fiancée told a local source, “I believe the warning should be disseminated because of the hazards that are down there.
They don’t necessarily belong to a formal volunteer organization that may get that type of information, she added. Don’t enter the water if you have an existing ailment, or even if you’re healthy and have any open wounds. You have no idea what’s within.
More than 100 other people have also perished as a result of Hurricane Ian, including James, who was the second Michigander to pass away from the hurricane.