ROANOKE, Va. (WDBJ) - By the time Summit Helicopters pilot Carl Milko and WDBJ7 photographer Mark Layman were in the air, it was apparent the Roanoke Valley was experiencing an epic flood.

They’d been flying just a short time on November 4, 1985, when Milko received a call from the tower at the airport. People were on the roof of the E.J. Thomas Market.

Eric Thomas, his father... Virginia Del. Vic Thomas... and five others needed help.

“I was outside and had a board against the front window and then the windows cracked,” Thomas told us recently. “So we start climbing on the drink machine getting on the roof. Then we went around the back on the roof and pulled daddy up and his legislative aide up. And there was seven of us up there altogether.”

Roanoke Police Officer Jay Michael made th

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