>> you heard those screams of december per december ter race. >> yeah, hoping that you could actually get to them in time. >> this was my safe haven. i was sitting on the top bunk, sitting on the karaoke machine. >> reporter: and lisa fox says without her son many more of her neighbors would have been killed even though she told him not to come. >> he was going to save his mother one way or the other. but i know it was a bad idea to stay. but them having to rescue me, that saved a lot of lives. so i don't regret my decision because there was still lives that were saved. >> we just started lifting, trying to find her, and we never could. >> reporter: while dozens did make it out, it pains him that he wasn't able to help save everyone. several who were ripped away by the rushing current are still