“I didn’t know what they were talking about, then I walked out,” Day told CNN. “You heard a lot of people screaming and begging for someone to help.” That day, eastern Kentucky saw what officials called unprecedented flooding, with entire homes and bridges washed away and communities cut off by flooded roads. At least 35 people died in the floods and many who survived lost everything they owned. Hundreds of people are still missing. Day and his wife, Crystal, did not have a boat, so they waded into the water to rescue the five children and two mothers who were stuck on the roof of their home. “At 3 o’clock in the morning, I was in that water with my wife. I put one child under each arm and one around my neck and took them back to my house. The older child was holding a little dog,” said Day. he said. After Day and his wife rescued the children and the two women, he set out to rescue his former high school English teacher, Ella Prater, and his second grade teacher, Irma Gayhart, who both lived nearby. “I kept walking back and forth because I saw the water rising and I knew my two former teachers were probably trapped in their houses,” Day said. “It was heartbreaking.” He then enlisted the help of three other neighbors to check on his teachers, who both live alone, according to Day. When they saw Prater, Day said they grabbed her “on both sides of her arms and never looked back. We said, ‘We’ve got to go.’” It took Gayheart a few minutes to open the door, but when she did, she told him it was okay, but she was sitting on her kitchen counter watching the water rise. “I wasn’t going to leave her there because she’s a special lady to me. You could tell by looking at her face that she was drained,” Day said. “He spent the night on the kitchen counter and the water had come up on the counter.” With the help of his neighbors, Day was able to reunite both teachers with their families, who were awaiting any update on their whereabouts. “These are two of the most special women you will ever meet and when they show you love, they show you true love. They really care about everyone around them and that has stuck with me throughout my life,” Day said. when he explained why he risked his life to save his teachers. The ordeal has been emotionally draining, but he’s glad the children and former teachers are safe, Day told CNN.