S.O.S. Photo Saves Hurricane Harvey-Trapped Nursing Home Elderly

DICKINSON, TX – Fifteen nursing home residents Sunday were rescued from a facility in Dickinson, a city within the Houston area, after a photograph of elderly women, and a cat, sitting in waist-deep Hurricane Harvey flood waters was tweeted and re-tweeted more than 4,000 times with a plea for help.

Dickinson emergency management coordinator David Popoff confirmed to the Galveston County Daily News that the assisted-living residents at La Vita Bella, and three others, were rescued -- but it was hours after the post was made on Twitter by Timothy McIntosh of Florida, whose mother reportedly owns the facility.

After the repeated re-tweets Sunday, McIntosh issued another plea: "This is a real and life threatening situation. They have not been rescued yet. Anyone in the area, please reach out and help."

Later in the day, he posted an update: "RESCUED!! Thank you to the National Guard & the Galveston City Emergency crew for our rescue."

And today McIntosh added on Twitter: "The nursing home patients and cats of La Vita Bella are now safe and sound in Allen, TX. Thanks again to all those that helped yesterday."

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--Image courtesy of Timothy J. McIntosh‏ @DividendsMGR on Twitter