Five staff members and the property’s equestrian center manager made sure all the horses were safe.

When Hurricane Helene tore through western North Carolina in September, it devastated Asheville and many other communities nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, leaving in its wake a record-breaking path of destruction, including the famous Biltmore Estate.

In the midst of the storm, six unlikely heroes emerged – five Biltmore Estate employees and the estate’s Director of Equestrian Activities, who successfully housed all 54 of the Biltmore’s horses, ensuring they were safe and fed.

Before the storm arrived, Cassie Hague, Caroline Wright, Cierra Guerrigues, Mango Lukenda and Annie Crandell volunteered to stay in the main stable with the horses to keep them safe, assuming it would only be one night. The Estate’s Director of Equestrian Activities, Elizabeth McLean, is housed in a different location on the sprawling 8,000 acre property.

When one night turned into three years, the team knew they had to get creative to make sure everyone survived, especially after losing access to any escape route due to fallen trees and the flowing water path of was interrupted.

“The river road was under 30 feet of water and the back road probably had 50 trees down on it,” Wright told Asheville Citizen Times. “We were just isolated here. We had enough water for Friday, but then we did a lot of brainstorming (in) Friday night.”

The team eventually managed to fill gutters with rainwater to supplement their supply, before having to resort to buckets filled with water from a nearby stream. Unbeknownst to the work crew, McLean was making his way toward them, cutting through trees and bushes to rescue his workers.

By the fourth morning of confinement, McLean arrived at the main stables to an incredible sight: all five workers and all horses alive—and safe.

“I was excited,” Wright said Citizen Times to see McLean. “We all hugged so much. Best hugs we’ve had in a long time.”

A Biltmore Estate spokesperson says Living Southern“Elizabeth was so proud of her team’s ability to work quickly and creatively to ensure the horses and everyone made it through the storm safely.”

As many families continue to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of the catastrophic storm, Western North Carolina has already begun to welcome back visitors just in time for the holidays — including for Biltmore Estate.

“Visitors returning to the Biltmore and the Asheville area will help our economy during this recovery period,” said a Biltmore spokesman. Living Southern. “Christmas at the Biltmore can be experienced on the same scale that our guests are used to; we didn’t cut back on the decor this year despite the storm. We look forward to sharing this especially meaningful holiday season with our community and visitors to the Asheville area.”

Related: Nurses on horseback providing aid to North Carolina community disrupted by Hurricane Helene