Impact Plastics, a Unicoi County, Tennessee, plastics factory, is under investigation following the tragic deaths of several employees during the Hurricane Helene flood.
ERWIN, Tenn. – Rosy Reynoso, a 29-year-old devoted wife and mother of two, continues to offer solace to her family even in death.
She is believed to have lost her life in the devastating flooding of the Nolichucky River in East Tennessee caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene. It’s been over a week since she and several other co-workers were swept away by raging floodwaters outside the factory in Unicoi County.
Of the seven people lost in the floods at Impact Plastics, only Reynoso and Lydia Verdugo remain unaccounted for.
‘WHY DID YOU MAKE US WORK?’: IMPACT PLASTICS EMPLOYEE RECALLS HELENE FLOOD THAT KILLED COWORKERS
Rosa Reynoso is believed to have lost her life in the devastating flooding of the Nolichucky River, caused by the remnants of Hurricane Helene.
(Photo courtesy the Reynoso family)
Amidst the despair and chaos of the search Thursday outside Impact Plastics in Erwin where she worked, a small miracle unfolded. As her family searched for her body, a delicate butterfly emerged from the muddy mess, its wings shimmering in the sunlight.
The breathtaking beauty of the fragile butterfly momentarily distracted Reynoso’s loved ones from the debris-strewn landscape. Cars, half-submerged and their windows shattered by the floodwaters, served as a stark reminder of the disaster’s destructive force last Friday.
Tears streamed down Andrade’s face as the butterfly remained motionless on her shoe for what felt like an eternity.
“(Rosy) was trying to give me a hug,” Annabel Andrade’s voice trembled with emotion. “She was trying to tell us not to stop looking. We are here. Find us.”
As Reynoso’s family ached with sorrow, the butterfly filled their minds with images of the doting mother’s love for her young children and husband. The couple’s 7-year-old daughter is currently living in Erwin, while their 10-year-old son is still in Mexico living with his aunt.
“I can’t imagine my (child) not knowing where his mom is at and not having the comfort of dad hugging him … and telling him everything’s going to be okay,” Andrade said.
INVESTIGATORS PROBE TENNESSEE PLASTICS FACTORY AFTER DEATHS DURING HELENE FLOODING
The 29-year-old was a devoted wife and mother of two young children.
(Photo courtesy the Reynoso family)
The last time Reynoso’s family heard from her was at 1:40 p.m. Friday, when she called her husband and sent videos of the flooding outside Impact Plastics, saying that employees had not been given the OK to evacuate yet.
“At one point, she called her husband and said, ‘This is bad. I don’t think I’m going to make it. Can you tell our kids how much I love them and take care of them?” Andrade said as she held back her tears.
In a company statement sent to FOX Weather, senior management at Impact Plastics claimed that they had monitored the weather and dismissed employees when the situation became unsafe. However, workers have disputed this claim. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is conducting an investigation into allegations against Impact Plastics at the request of 1st Judicial District Attorney General Steve Finney.
Reynoso was one of 11 employees who sought refuge on top of a tractor-trailer in the parking lot to avoid the rising flood, holding on for their lives, according to Andrade.
“We weren’t expecting this,” she said. “Authorities were not prepared. Nobody was prepared for this. People were evacuated from their homes. It was just chaos.”
2 DEAD, SEVERAL MISSING FROM IMPACT PLASTICS FACILITY AFTER HELENE FLOODS ERWIN, TENNESSEE
The last time Reynoso’s family heard from her was on Sept. 27 when she called her husband and sent videos of the flooding outside Impact Plastics.
(Photo courtesy the Reynoso family)
After working at Impact Plastics for a year and a half, family members say Reynoso had saved enough to make a big dream come true after moving to Erwin from Guanajuato, Mexico.
Until recently, Reynoso lived with her parents and sisters. But this year, she and her husband were thrilled to move into their own place. They rented a home and enjoyed the thrills of setting it up with their own furniture. It was a big step for them.
“She had just attended church the Sunday before with her parents. That was the last I saw her,” Andrade said.
Even though Reynoso is no longer with them, her spirit lives on.
As they plan her funeral, leaning on fundraising efforts to help with burial costs, her family now finds strength from the butterflies in their life, as a symbol of hope and resilience.