HAZARD, Ky. (FOX 56) – A Knott County teen is dead after working to clean up his flooded community.
Tragic stories continue in eastern Kentucky, a Knott Central High School student is now dead after helping flood victims with clean up. Aaron Crawford died Friday after becoming sick days after he first pitched in to help.
“He was the sweetest person, I will ever meet, the kindness, he had the best heart in the world,” Rachel Crawford Mick’s sister said.
“I know that if Mick was going to go out in any way he would want to be able to go out in a way that would leave an impact on people, and he would absolutely want to be able to organ donate,” Crawford said.
“He had a heart of gold, absolutely, I hope whoever gets it is worthy of it because that is the highest treasure that anyone would ever get on this earth is his heart.”
“He was out helping my dad with the flood victims, and he had been doing it for about three days, he would just come home and he got home late most of nights that he was working because they just stayed until they could not see what they were doing any more.”
“I was here when he actually went down, when he stopped breathing and I remember I was yelling at him, telling him to breath for us and I was saying come on you got this, you are stronger I known you can I need you to focus on your breathing … and he didn’t,” she continued.
The family of 18-year-old Aaron “Mick” Crawford said he was helping a family friend clean up after the eastern Kentucky flooding ruined their home when he began to feel sick.
“He got home late most of nights that he was working because they just stayed until they could not see what they were doing any more,” Crawford said.
Four days later his family said Mick went into cardiac arrest and died after being rushed to the University of Kentucky Hospital.
“I remember I was yelling at him, telling him to breath for us and I was saying come on you got this, you are stronger. I know you can. I need you to focus on your breathing … and he didn’t,” Crawford said.
The Perry County Sheriff’s Office gave Aaron the heroic farewell of a lifetime.
The victim’s sister said they decided to donate his organs just so his heart of giving lives on.
“He had a heart of gold, absolutely, I hope whoever gets it is worthy of it,” Crawford said.
Mick’s arrangements have been made at Blair Memorial Baptist Church 1951 Lost Creek Road in Hazard. The visitation will be Wednesday at 5 p.m. for family and 6 p.m. for the public. The funeral service will be Thursday at 1 p.m and buried at the Griffie Family Cemetery.
