CHARLOTTE — NASCAR driver Greg Biffle wasn’t just a force on the racetrack; he also played a big part in the recovery efforts after Hurricane Helene.
As a helicopter pilot, Biffle flew into Western North Carolina and rescued people who were stranded in the aftermath. Channel 9’s Hannah Goetz covered those recovery efforts and spoke with a firefighter who was alongside Biffle for some of those missions on the ground.
Biffle and several of his immediate family members were killed Thursday in a plane crash at Statesville Regional Airport in North Carolina.
“I thought, well, if I don’t put my tools down and go to the airport, get my helicopter out and try and go get them, you know, I don’t know who will,” Biffle said back in September of 2024.
Biffle was a recent NASCAR Hall of Fame Nominee for his fast-paced heroics, but to many in WNC, he was already a hero.
[ SPECIAL SECTION >> Hurricane Helene Stories ]
“I caught him out of the corner of my eye and I was several miles away,” Biffle said in a YouTube video describing a rescue during the Hurricane Helene relief efforts. “I saw a mirror, he had about a 14x14 mirror.”
Bradley Boone, the assistant fire chief with the Pensacola Fire Department in hard-hit Yancey County, said Biffle was a great guy.
“So down to earth, easy to talk to, and he was a huge help to a community that really, really needed it. So, you know, that’s the kind of thing you don’t ever forget,” Boone said.
Boone spent time with Biffle in the days after the hurricane hit, when they were praying for a miracle.
“Sunday came. They were worried about, you know, what are we going to do? I mean, everybody was cut off from the world. And they just, they got in the station there and started praying for help. And they hadn’t much more than said Amen. They looked and there was a blue helicopter circling overhead,” Boone said.
Boone said Biffle’s home became a base for private aircraft to take life-saving supplies to the mountains. He brought not just supplies, but hope for the people there.
“I’ve seen a lot of posts from Pensacola people on Facebook. Everybody’s heartbroken. It’s a sad day for us in Pensacola,” Boone said.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein also acknowledged Biffle’s work for Helene victims, posting a tribute to Biffle on social media.
“Heartbreaking news out of Statesville. Beyond his success as a NASCAR driver, Greg Biffle lived a life of courage and compassion and stepped up for western North Carolina after Hurricane Helene. My heart goes out to all those who lost a loved one in this tragic crash,” Stein wrote.
(VIDEO: Witnesses described deadly plane crash that killed NASCAR’s Greg Biffle, family)
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