Heartbroken son of man killed in Hurricane Helene says 'I lost my superman'

The devastated son of a pensioner who tragically died during Hurricane Helene has expressed his profound loss, saying "I didn't just lose my dad I lost my superman".

Aidan Bowles, aged 71, was discovered dead in his single-storey home in Indian Rocks Beach, Pinellas County. The Irish native chose to stay put despite a mandatory evacuation order being in place, which is enforced by local authorities to protect residents from the anticipated destruction and danger posed by hurricanes.

In a heartfelt social media post, Aidan's son Sam shared his grief: "I don't even know what to say, today I not only lost my dad, I lost my superman. This guy was the strongest and smartest person I've ever met in my life, he truly made an impact in his life on not just me but everyone he came into contact with.

"I'm truly lost without him, we were not only father and son but best friends, business partners, and my hero. Unfortunately, my father didn't make it through Hurricane Helene last night and passed away in his home early this morning."

READ MORE: Hurricane Helene devestation continues with 100 dead and millions still without power

The ex-lawyer and proprietor of the Salt Public House, who spent his formative years in Ireland, was found by neighbour John Comer on Saturday morning. Mr Comer recounted the sombre discovery of Mr Bowles' body, pinned beneath a dresser and coated in mud, reports the Irish Mirror.

The tragic end to Mr Bowles, who had been a lawyer in New York, is believed to have come through drowning. On the grim find, Mr Comer shared with The New York Times: "It's not something you can get out of your mind easily."

His neighbour reminisced how Mr Bowles enjoyed vacations at Indian Rocks Beach since the '80s and made the shift there permanently from Kentucky about 15 years back. Mr Cormer remarked: "He absolutely loved Indian Rocks Beach."

Reflecting on Mr Bowles' memory, who sadly lost his wife Sabrina in December 2022, he highlighted his neighbour's warmth towards patrons at his eatery, adding: "One of the amazing traits about him was he would always sit down with people and talk to them when they came into his restaurant to eat."

With the hurricane's death toll nearing 100 lives lost, there are concerns that this figure is set to climb in the days ahead. The Department of Foreign Affairs has put out a statement acknowledging their knowledge of Mr Bowles' case and is offering consular support, although they refrain from discussing particulars about individual cases.

READ MORE: Hurricane Helene aftermath: At least 52 dead as storm brings catastrophic flooding across US

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The number of missing people is soaring into the hundreds, while the trail of devastation from the storm covers an expanse exceeding 800 kilometres throughout America, as revealed by officials.

The US government's Federal Emergency Management Agency is leading the rescue and clean-up efforts, with over 3,200 personnel on the ground searching for survivors or those injured. They are also frantically trying to deliver water and other supplies to isolated, flood-hit areas across the south east of the US in the wake of Hurricane Helene.

Mobile phone towers have been knocked out across the region, leaving hundreds of people unable to contact their loved ones. Additionally, a staggering 2.7 million Americans were left without power last night. Some estimates put the damage caused by the storm at a whopping $100bn. President Joe Biden has promised to visit the affected communities.

Mr Biden described the storm's impact as "stunning" and announced on X that he plans to visit the area this week, provided it does not interfere with rescue or recovery operations. The President told reporters: "It's tragic. You saw the photographs."

The White House also announced that Vice President Kamala Harris will visit the storm-damaged areas "as soon as it is possible without disrupting emergency response operations." Vice President Harris spoke about the devastation caused by Helene, stating, "I know everyone here sends their thoughts and prayer for the folks who have been so devastated by that hurricane. We will stand with these communities for as long as it takes and make sure they are able to rebuild."

Tragically, deaths were also reported in Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia.