Story highlights A drone photo of floods in North Carolina helps a man in Texas rescue his trapped brother

The drone pilot guides a rescue boat to the man, who'd been holed up in his attic for hours

(CNN) A North Carolina flood victim trapped in his attic for 14 hours was rescued thanks to a drone operator, the perseverance of family and the cross-country reach of social media.

When floodwaters hit Hope Springs, North Carolina, Chris Williams, a Navy veteran, didn't get out in time. He retreated to his attic with his dog Lana as the waters rose, CNN affiliate KXAN reported.

He texted his parents on Sunday that he was stuck. They told Chris' brother, Craig, who was home 1,300 miles away in Austin, Texas. The family immediately started working to alert rescuers in Hope Springs, but to no avail.

"We called local emergency services, we called the fire department, and nothing would go through," Craig told KXAN.

Craig Williams, left, talks with his brother Chris Williams, on monitor.

Meanwhile, Quavas Hart of nearby Fayetteville, North Carolina, sent his drone up to shoot photos of the flooding.

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