A familiar face is making his rounds again near Darlings Island N.B.
Rob Dekany, better known as 'Uber Rob,' is back for the second year in a row with his one-man ferry service.
“For whatever reason, it really stuck and it stuck pretty well,” said Dekany.
His ferry service helps stranded residents on Darlings Island, since the only access road to the island is underwater as parts of New Brunswick cope with significant flooding.
“For somebody to take his time and volunteer for this like, so early in the morning, then late at night, it’s unbelievable, really,” said Darlings Island resident Jim Eastwood.
Dekany works on a voluntary basis. He posted a sign showing his hours for 'Uber Rob’s Rapid Relief River Rescue Boat' so locals know what time he is operating,
“He told us well ahead of time that he would be here for us when the flood hit,” said Darlings Island resident Mary Scott. “So, that was a big help to us and it’s just nice to know that you have somebody on your side.”
This year, the provincial government also has a shuttle service in place to help local residents who need a ride.
“We’re working perfectly together in unison. We’re working like a well-oiled machine,” said Dekany. “There’s no wait times, nothing, and it’s really, really helping out.”
The provincial Department of Transportation plans to raise the elevation of the road to Darlings Island to avoid flooding in the future.
Dekany says, until the road is opened again, he will keep shuttling residents to-and-from the island.
“I just wanted to give them a piece of mind that, hey, if you need to get off the island to get to work, to get to school, heaven forbid if a medical emergency were to happen, that they would have a way off the island and to come back home at night,” said Dekany.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Laura Lyall
