Heartfelt moment dog named Benji is found in debris after owners died in Hurricane Milton captured on TV
FORT PIERCE, FLORIDA: In the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Milton, a small glimmer of hope emerged from the wreckage in Florida.
A heart-touching moment was captured live on air when a tiny dog named Benji was pulled from a pile of debris, the only survivor after his owners tragically perished in the storm, as per PEOPLE Magazine.
Tiny dog Benji discovered during CBS Miami's Morgan Rynor's reporting from Fort Pierce
On Thursday, October 10, CBS Miami reporter Morgan Rynor was reporting from the heart of the destruction in Fort Pierce.
In a video shared by the news station, Rynor stands in front of what used to be a family home, now reduced to nothing but piles of debris.
As she described the scene, a man emerged from the rubble, cradling a small, trembling dog in his arms. The dog, named Benji, had been missing since the previous night and was found amidst the wreckage.
"He got Benji," Rynor exclaimed in the video, visibly emotional. "Oh my goodness... I cannot believe I'm starting this right now with some happy news."
Pointing to the debris, she added, "About two seconds ago, we just pulled out this little tiny dog named Benji, who has been missing since last night."
The footage captured the raw emotions of the moment, a stark contrast to the devastation surrounding them.
It was a small, but powerful sign of hope in a situation where many had lost everything. Benji's owners, unfortunately, were not as lucky.
According to Rynor’s report, they were among the victims of Hurricane Milton, having perished in their home as the storm tore through the area.
Rynor explained in her report that Benji had lived with his owners in the home behind her that was destroyed during the storm.
When Hurricane Milton made landfall, the small dog apparently panicked and fled, leaving his home in the chaos. He was later discovered in the remains of a neighboring house, where rescuers found him buried beneath debris.
Benji's rescue took place in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village in Florida
CBS News reported that a neighbor of Benji’s owners confirmed the heartbreaking news of their deaths during the storm.
In an interview with CBS News, Rynor shared how the discovery unfolded. Photographer Brian Shanahan, who was working alongside Rynor that morning, heard Benji’s faint barking from a distance just minutes before they were scheduled to go live.
Despite being close to their broadcast deadline, they chose to investigate.
"Even though we were about two minutes from our 7.30 live shot, we decided Benji was more important," Rynor said.
Moments later, they found the small dog in the wreckage and brought him to safety. As they continued their live broadcast, a neighbor identified Benji and provided more details about the dog’s tragic circumstances.
Rynor also shared updates about Benji on her Instagram Stories, showing the dog snuggled comfortably on her lap after the rescue.
"I'm told his owners unfortunately did not make it out alive," she wrote. "Benji is safe with me and being taken care of. Need to double-check he doesn't have other family, but then will need to find him a home. Neighbors are busy figuring out where they're going to live."
Benji's rescue took place in Spanish Lakes Country Club Village, a community for residents aged 55 and older, located in Port St Lucie, St Lucie County.
The area was one of the hardest hit by Hurricane Milton, particularly the tornadoes that accompanied the storm.
According to Fox Weather, the St Lucie County Emergency Operations Center confirmed that four people were killed in the tornados that tore through the region on Wednesday.
