'Why did you make us work?': Impact Plastics employee recalls Helene flood that killed coworkers

ERWIN, Tenn. – Among the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene and the countless stories of loss and hardship, one particular tragedy is under investigation after the deaths of several workers at a plastics company in East Tennessee.

Robert Jarvis, an employee at Impact Plastics in Erwin, is consumed by anger and frustration as he recalls the terrifying events of last week when several of his coworkers were swept away by floodwaters outside the plant. He recounts how he and his colleagues were forced to continue working despite the deteriorating weather conditions.

"We were all working and the power went out," he told FOX 39 in Greeneville. "I got a text … from another employee saying that the parking lot was flooded."

INVESTIGATORS PROBE TENNESSEE PLASTICS FACTORY AFTER DEATHS DURING HELENE FLOODING

Panicked, he tried to move his car to higher ground, as the parking lot became submerged. Jarvis said there was only one way out – a narrow road that was quickly becoming blocked. 

Jarvis said that despite his co-workers' pleas to be allowed to leave, they were told to stay put as other employees were reportedly trapped in the floodwaters outside.

"We were in panic mode," he said. "The water was coming up, and then we did what we had to survive. It was a guy in a 4x4 who came, picked a bunch of us up, and saved our lives, or we'd have been dead too."

A company spokesperson confirmed to FOX Weather that only two of the seven people missing in the flood have been located, with their bodies being recovered earlier this week.

"It hurts knowing that they didn't make it, and I did," Jarvis said. "It just doesn't seem fair to me that they didn't make it."

According to the company's statement to FOX Weather, while expressing condolences to the victims' families, senior management claimed that they had monitored the weather and dismissed employees when the situation became unsafe. However, the workers themselves have since disputed this claim.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is now conducting an investigation into allegations against Impact Plastics at the request of 1st Judicial District Attorney General Steve Finney. According to Finney, he contacted the TBI on Monday to initiate the probe into the events that occurred at the plant in Unicoi County.

"Specifically, I asked that they review the occurrences of Friday, September 27, 2024, to identify any potential criminal violations," Finney said in a written statement to FOX Weather.

2 DEAD, SEVERAL MISSING FROM IMPACT PLASTICS FACILITY AFTER HELENE FLOODS ERWIN, TENNESSEE

The tragedy at Impact Plastics is now raising serious questions for Jarvis about workplace safety and corporate responsibility during extreme weather events. 

"Why did you make us work that day?" Jarvis asked. "We shouldn't have been there. None of us should have been there."

As the investigation into the incident continues, the community is now grappling with the loss of loved ones and the lingering trauma of the disaster.

"It just breaks my heart for them," Jarvis said. "They were good. Every one of them … we were like family. It broke my heart to see that they died … all because of greed, I think."

A vigil organized by community members in Erwin will be held at 5 p.m. Thursday in memory of those lost and missing in the wake of the storm.