Yesterday the New York Daily News posted a story about Michael McDonnel, an experienced fisherman in Rockaway, New York, who used his knot-tying skills to save himself and the lives of his neighbors. As the fire and flood waters raged through the neighborhood, Mr. McDonnel told all of his neighbors to gather all the wire, twine, or rope they could find and bring it to him within four minutes.

The article reports:

McDonnell tied all the wire and twine into a jury-rigged life rope, swam across the street to Firefighter Tommy Cann’s home and fastened it to the railing at the top of his steps.

Then the burly McDonnell followed it back and forth several times to carry at least six people to Cann’s home, where 15-year-old Kristin Cann and others waited with towels.

“Whatever way the wind blew determined your destiny that night,” said her father, Tommy Cann. “We thought we’d see water but we never thought we’d see fire.”

McDonnell, the son of a late Daily News advertising veteran, Bob McDonnell, lost the home where he was currently living as well as the memory-filled house next door.