Florida teacher killed by Hurricane Helene – chilling last moments

But the storm hadn’t calmed down and another surge, along with high tropical winds, continued to hammer the coastline.

And then a neighbor came into the home where Boles and Moran were bunkering.

“[He] said he saw somebody floating in the parking garage, so they pulled [Fagersten] up to the stairs, and Heather [Boles] and [a friend] started CPR,” Moran said.

Moran explains that floodwaters were so high that fire rescue had to come by boat.

After almost an hour of trying to revive her, “there was nothing we could do,” Moran said. “Losing one of your best friends is just devastating.”

According to Eye on Tampa Bay, “Detectives say Donna Fagersten was located in several inches of water inside her residence. It was apparent that water entered the residence and Fagersten appeared to have drowned.”

‘Beautiful soul’
Meanwhile, family and friends are remembering the woman, who’s described as a “beautiful person.”

In a Facebook post, Mary Gleason Lyons shares a heartbreaking message, announcing the death of the woman who was a special member of the community.

“People may have lost a lot this hurricane but we lost Donna Fagersten who was a beautiful person, a friend, and a teacher. I worked with Donna for over 13 years, and she has touched the lives of so many students,” Lyons writes of her dear friend and co-worker. “I am so saddened by this and will miss her. She was dedicated to her students and had such a big heart.”

Online users jumped into the comments section, offering some insight into how much Fagersten was appreciated in the community.