ROWAN COUNTY, Ky (LEX 18)– A local priest was inspired by how the community came together after a little boy was swept away in fast-moving floodwaters, and now he wants to help the family.
Rescue crews and volunteers searched for Bryce Combs for seven days. They searched on air, on land, and in water. Some even searched at night.
Thousands of people drove in from other counties and states to help in the weeklong search.
“I’m sure that the majority of those people might have known one another, but I can assure you that there were people there who simply saw the need and responded to the call,” said Father Jim Sichko.
Father Jim, a papal missionary for mercy, watched from afar in heartbreak and in awe.
“My goodness. The people in this town have rallied like I’ve never seen before,” he said. “And isn’t that what we’re called to do? To assist one another. Whether we know them or not.”
Father Jim said that he thought about the grieving mother who now has to bury her nine-year-old son.
The funeral home was already working to help the family with the funeral cost, but Father Jim decided to pay for the burial and any other expenses.
“The aspect of just trying to alleviate some of the burden for this mom and for this town,” he told LEX 18. “If this can just be taken off their plate, and this worry be removed, then so be it.”