SAN DIEGO — At the height of Monday's storm, a man in Southeast San Diego risked his life to rescue his family's pets.
Japhet Perez-Estrada swam through neck-deep water as it filled the house.
About 24 hours after the flood, Perez-Estrada's family was back in their house, clearing out all of their belongings one by one.
“Sorry, the house is a mess," said Perez-Estrada, as he walked ABC 10News reporter Natalie Chuck through the home.
Soaking wet towels are lying across the floor and footprints are sitting in the mud left behind.
“When I got into the backyard it was neck deep. Like I was literally swimming through the backyard," said Perez-Estrada.
He shared videos of his journey on Instagram.
Watch this ⬇️
— Natalie Chuck KGTV (@NatalieChuck) January 24, 2024
A #SanDiego man SWAM home yesterday in the height of the storm to rescue his family's cats. He found himself neck-deep in water when he got inside.
Here is a link to their GoFundMe:https://t.co/sXICnkBvJB
PC: Japhet Perez-Estrada pic.twitter.com/Ydhqvym9ad
Now, he has created a GoFundMe to help his family rebuild the home they bought about 17 years ago.
“Honestly, we are used to hardships in low-income areas. This isn’t anything that we haven’t gone through before. Just a cycle of trauma. Cycle of hardships that just makes us stronger," said Perez-Estrada.
