Beyond The Destruction: Father Reflects On Rushing To Protect Daughter On May 20, 2013

Shortly after the May 20 tornado, News 9’s David Payne met a tow truck driver with an incredible story, and he never forgot it. Now, with the help of Facebook, David was able to track him down again. His name is Gary Keahey, he owns Pat's towing.

“Moore's just always been my town, that's where I grew up at,” Gary told David when he caught back up with him earlier this month.

Gary named one of his trucks PT for Plaza Towers: the school where his daughter Ciana was on May 20, 2013.

“You made mention of where the tornado was at and the path it was taking,” Gary recalls, he was at work about two and half miles away. “I didn’t really say much to my wife or anyone else. I just grabbed my vehicle and took off for Plaza Towers.”

“The sirens started going off and we were all just rushed into the hallways, into the fetal position with textbooks over our heads,” remembers his daughter Ciana.

“My intention was to get to Plaza, get my daughter and get out,” added Gary.

But when he got there, it was too late. The storm was already nearly on top of them. He rushed into the school and found his daughter and her classmates lining the halls. 

“I’m like that’s not going to work. Because I knew the ‘99 storm and this was as bad as it and I told them to get the kids in the bathrooms,” said Gary.

Gary said the storm hit about three minutes later.

“He had me in the fetal position. He laid on top of me as a layer of protection,” said Ciana.

“We hunkered down in a corner. I probably smothered her. I was protecting her,” said Gary.

As we now know that school took a direct hit.

“At one point I remember one of the kids asking if it was over because it quieted down where we were and I remember looking up and things were still spinning and the storm was still on top of us,”

A brick hit Gary in the head, a piece of Granite fell on his ankle.

But finally, the tornado passed.

“I remember coming out of the bathrooms and the entire hallway that we were in was completely gone and there was just rubble everywhere and the entire neighborhood was gone,” said Ciana.  

After helping pull kids and teachers out of the debris Gary and Ciana walked to their house and discovered that it had also been hit by the tornado. Finally, the father and daughter made it to the Warren Theatre, and he was able to get a hold of his wife. 

“Once I got my daughter to my wife I collapsed and they took me to the hospital in Norman,” said Gary.

Seven children died in that school that day. But you have to wonder how many more might have also lost their lives if it wasn't for Gary.

“If he hadn’t have come, would I be here today?” asked Ciana.