Victims of the North Texas tornado share their stories of survival at an RV park

The tornado that at least seven people killed in North Texas on Saturday evening, he was part of a cell that traveled 100 miles. South of Valley View, where at least five people died, the storm destroyed several homes in the RV park at Ray Roberts Marina.

Despite a debris field more than half a mile long, all residents survived.

On Sunday morning, CBS News Texas reporter Dawn White spoke with Frank Soltysiak and Donald Wylie, two men who live at the RV park. Here is a lightly edited transcript of their conversation:

White: What was it like last night when the tornado touched down where you were?

Soltysiak: I was in a walk-in refrigerator at the restaurant here at the marina. The owner came by, honked and warned everyone to get out. I don’t know why I heeded that warning. Glad I did. I grabbed my dog, we went there and… it was just incredible, the sound of all the destruction around us. That walk-in cooler wasn’t moving. That was the safest structure you could go to. And I come out and everything is destroyed. Just absolutely destroyed. And within two minutes it’s gone, everything is gone. But I have my dog, and I have me.

White: You said you sold your house and moved here to live.

Soltysiak: Yes, I live here. I got a little tired of the taxes and high insurance, so I’ve been here since December. And this happens. I guess God doesn’t like RV parks. [laughs]

White: That was your RV over there.

Soltysiak: That’s it. It’s gone. It’s all gone. I find a lot of my stuff all in the rubble field, you know? I’m looking for my Red Bulls here… My Irish whiskey survived. [laughs]

White: Well, we’re glad you and your 20-year-old Maltese are doing well.

Soltysiak: Yes, Sampson and I, we’re still alive. I have the clothes on my back and a belt for him. And I was able to get some of his blankets… and we slept in my car. The car was also destroyed. He must have picked up my car and just spun it around, because the whole back end of it is all messed up, and it’s a big Lincoln, and it’s all messed up.

White: Donald, if you can tell me what you saw and heard.

Wylie: I was in my RV and I heard the noise, a really loud noise coming. I heard the horn honk. I rolled into my bedroom… As soon as I did, I went ahead and laid down on the bed because… I felt the walls starting to shake. At that point he grabbed my entire RV over the pickup, ran it and turned… and then it crashed into another RV and exploded. And how I survived, I have no idea.

White: What was going through your mind when all this was happening?

Wylie: Just… it’s hard to describe. But the best I can say is that I wasn’t upset, or I was just trying to find a safe place, and there was nowhere to go. Please wait for the ride. So that’s all I can do. And just happy to be here. I’ve been through some tough times over the last five years, I just keep picking up the pieces and moving on.