The lives of three strangers changed forever on May 21 after a deadly EF-4 tornado ripped through the town of Greenfield, Iowa.Larry Vanderpluym remembers the exact moment he was caught in the storm’s path. He said he was thrown a block away from his home. He woke up to find utter destruction.”It was like my house just blew up,” Vanderpluym said. “I’m lifting myself up, looking around, and I can see there’s tree branches and stuff.”The next thing he remembers is being helped by complete strangers.”These two gentlemen come along and load me up into the pickup,” Vanderpluym said. “Glad they were there. Very appreciative. I say I’m not lucky, I’m blessed to be alive.”He had to get 18 stitches in his head for what doctors said was a brain bleed. He also had six broken ribs and a broken femur.Those two men are Andrew Sandstrom and Ray “Bubba” Sorensen. Outside of Vanderpluym’s home, Sandstrom and Sorensen met for the first time since May 21. They didn’t know each other that day. But Sandstrom, a Minnesota construction worker, and Sorensen, a state representative and Greenfield artist best known for the Freedom Rock, now share the same story of helping a stranger in his time of need.They each drove several hours in August to meet Vanderpluym in Greenfield together. The three men shook hands and greeted each other. They recounted what happened that day from their own perspectives.”The image with basically a hole in your head will stay with me forever,” Sorensen told Vanderpluym. The last time Sandstrom and Sorensen saw Vanderpluym was when he was being loaded up into the ambulance.”I kind of said like a silent little prayer like please God, let that guy be OK,” Sorensen said.”My family, we knew nothing about Larry’s name,” Sandstrom said. “We prayed for him, held out for him.”Those prayers were answered. Vanderpluym was able to thank Sandstrom and Sorensen in person for saving his life.”I’m just speechless about it,” he said. “Blessed they were there. It’s amazing how everything worked out and everybody came together.”The three men returned to the spot where it all happened and took a photo together to document the reunion.”I feel blessed with the opportunity to help somebody,” Sandstrom said. “The highlight was just how fast the community responded to help each other.” Watch full This Is Iowa episode from Sept. 26, 2024
The lives of three strangers changed forever on May 21 after a deadly EF-4 tornado ripped through the town of Greenfield, Iowa.
Larry Vanderpluym remembers the exact moment he was caught in the storm’s path. He said he was thrown a block away from his home. He woke up to find utter destruction.
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“It was like my house just blew up,” Vanderpluym said. “I’m lifting myself up, looking around, and I can see there’s tree branches and stuff.”
The next thing he remembers is being helped by complete strangers.
“These two gentlemen come along and load me up into the pickup,” Vanderpluym said. “Glad they were there. Very appreciative. I say I’m not lucky, I’m blessed to be alive.”
He had to get 18 stitches in his head for what doctors said was a brain bleed. He also had six broken ribs and a broken femur.
Those two men are Andrew Sandstrom and Ray “Bubba” Sorensen. Outside of Vanderpluym’s home, Sandstrom and Sorensen met for the first time since May 21. They didn’t know each other that day. But Sandstrom, a Minnesota construction worker, and Sorensen, a state representative and Greenfield artist best known for the Freedom Rock, now share the same story of helping a stranger in his time of need.
They each drove several hours in August to meet Vanderpluym in Greenfield together. The three men shook hands and greeted each other. They recounted what happened that day from their own perspectives.
“The image with basically a hole in your head will stay with me forever,” Sorensen told Vanderpluym.
The last time Sandstrom and Sorensen saw Vanderpluym was when he was being loaded up into the ambulance.
“I kind of said like a silent little prayer like please God, let that guy be OK,” Sorensen said.
“My family, we knew nothing about Larry’s name,” Sandstrom said. “We prayed for him, held out for him.”
Those prayers were answered. Vanderpluym was able to thank Sandstrom and Sorensen in person for saving his life.
“I’m just speechless about it,” he said. “Blessed they were there. It’s amazing how everything worked out and everybody came together.”
The three men returned to the spot where it all happened and took a photo together to document the reunion.
“I feel blessed with the opportunity to help somebody,” Sandstrom said. “The highlight was just how fast the community responded to help each other.”
Watch full This Is Iowa episode from Sept. 26, 2024
