Two lineworkers faced a herculean task in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. They had to hike through miles of wilderness to restore power to a Veteran's hospital in North Carolina.
Duke Energy shared a video to Facebook on Oct. 5. It showed lineworker Matt Martinka and his apprentice, Nathan Curlee, hiking through 1.5 miles of wilderness. They were putting in a temporary line for the Asheville VA Medical Center so it could get power.
"I heard in the office that there's a chance we can get the VA backfed and get the VA hospital back on," Martinka recalled in the video. He immediately volunteered for the job. "So I said, 'Hey, I want this,' " he recalled. 'I told my apprentice, 'Let's get this on for the VA.' "
The linework reflected on what he considered the most difficult part — the wilderness. He said, "Up and down [the] terrain, I was covered with bushes to our chest. And then when we finally [got to] a flat, it was the washed-out area from the floods. So [with] every step, you're almost losing your boots in the mud."
"When we finally got there, it was kind of hard to climb because I had so much mud on my boots. But it was all worth it to get to the VA," Martika continued.
Lineworkers Help Hospital
Meanwhile, Curlee said he felt good that they were able to help the hospital during their time of need. He said,"I feel like we in our own way gave back. I mean, them guys [veterans] have given so much. So in our own way, we gave it back to them."
In a statement to PEOPLE, a spokesperson for Duke Energy said, "We are proud of Matt and Nathan for raising their hands to take on the important challenge of restoring the VA hospital in Asheville following the aftermath of Helene. Their dedication is commendable, as is the commitment shown by thousands of teammates and workers from other utilities who have continued to support our customers and communities."
They added, "In the face of the extraordinary damage and destruction caused by Helene, our communities have shown exceptional resiliency. We appreciate the support we have received, and we will be with the communities we serve every step of the way as we work together to recover."
