A Palm Bay homeowner went above and beyond to keep his neighbors safe while dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.

Retired Palm Bay Marine watched over a downed power line

Terry Sipes warned passersby that there was a downed power line

Sipes: "I can't be anymore thankful, man. I can't."

"The storm was blowing so loud you could hear the trees buckling," said Terry Sipes, a disabled veteran.

Sipes has gone through several hurricanes, including the storms in the mid-2000s, as well as Hurricane Andrew while living in South Florida. This time, Matthew was pounding the Space Coast early Friday morning. Sipes' Palm Bay home was in the storm's path.

"(I) heard this sound ripping on the side of the house," he said.

Sipes walked outside when things calmed down and saw a large tree had fallen on the electrical line, but he still had power.

The arching line was laying in about 1 foot of water and it was very close to Sipes' metal fence. He called Florida Power & Light, and they said someone would come as soon as possible. Then they asked Sipes to do something: "They said, 'Can you just make sure nobody gets hurt until we get there?'" Sipes said. "I was thinking 20 to 30 minutes. It went on a day, a day, a day."

There's a busy walking path through the woods to the main road next to Sipes' house. Adults and children frequent the path. But with the power line down, the area was dangerous.

For the next three days, the retired Marine, who served in Beirut many years ago, sat in a chair, warning more than a dozen people coming by to stay away from the area.

"I just perched there with water and Gatorade," he said. "(I) screamed and yelled and didn't want to get too close and (told people to) go around."

A contractor eventually showed up and immediately cut the power to the line. On Wednesday night, Sipes' damaged power box was rebuilt for free though an arrangement by the United Way of Brevard.

For a man who typically doesn't get emotional, it was an overwhelming experience.

"I can't be anymore thankful, man," Sipes said, with tears in his eyes. "I can't."

It was mission accomplished for a Marine who continues to find ways to serve.

An inspector was scheduled to be in the area Thursday to check out the repaired power box, and Sipes' was expected to have power by nighttime.