Guests At Texas Hotel Commend 21-Year-Old College Student Who Worked For 32 Hours By Himself During A Flood

Sep 26, 2019 by apost team

An eight-hour shift turns into a 32-hour one during torrential flooding. This is the story of 21-year-old Satchel Smith.

Normally, Satchel pulls an eight-hour evening shift, starting at 3pm and going to 11pm. That's what he expected when his father dropped him off at the Homewood Suites in Beaumont, Texas on Wednesday afternoon reports ABC.

But, the weather decided otherwise. Tropical Storm Imelda had come onshore, bringing torrential rain with it. This rain led to intense flooding. It left Satchel as the hotel's only employee.

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The 90 guests that were trapped with him in that hotel call him a hero. One hotel guest, Angela Chandler, sang Smith's praises on Facebook. When his co-workers couldn't come in due to flooding, Smith did the job alone. He was taking phone calls, answering guest questions, making hot coffee, and helping them get a hot breakfast. He handled it with grace, composure, and a wonderful smile.

While he seemed cheerful and composed on the outside, Satchel was feeling overwhelmed. He is typically behind the front desk. For 32 hours, he had to serve as the chef, maintenance man, and room service attendant.

Smith said, "It was pretty intense." One of the biggest challenges was putting together dinner for the hotel's guests. "I'm not really a good cook," he told CNN.

But, the job had to be done anyway. A few guests helped him prepare dinner. It was a simple chicken pasta dish with some garlic bread on the side. His guests were happy with the results. Even he admitted it tasted pretty good.

Outside the hotel, flood waters were on the rise. Drivers were stuck in their cars. Smith and some of the guests got outside and distributed food and water to stuck drivers. The group bonded as they worked together to get through the crisis. It became a big family affair.

After a marathon shift, one of Smith's co-workers finally got into work on Friday morning. Satchel helped her out for a few hours, then crashed for a quick nap. He woke up and went back to work until his family was able to take him home.

Despite some parking lot flooding, the hotel avoided the worst of the storm. Unfortunately, Satchel's car was a storm victim. It was the second time he lost a car to a major storm. Hurricane Harvey hit back in 2017 and took out his first. As a positive, the hotel will reportedly give him a bonus according to ABC. But, Satchel has his priorities straight. His family and home are safe.

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