CHARACTER COUNTS

D-backs owner Ken Kendrick sends plane to rescue Rey Fuentes’ family

Oct 1, 2017, 7:30 AM

(AP Photos)...

(AP Photos)

(AP Photos)

Puerto Rico has been devastated by multiple hurricanes recently.

First it was Hurricane Irma, and now it’s Hurricane Maria wreaking havoc in the area.

Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Reymond Fuentes is Puerto Rican and his family was there when Maria hit.

Nervous for Fuentes’ family’s well-being, Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick made sure they got to safety. Kendrick sent his private jet to Puerto Rico to bring the outfielder’s family to Arizona.

FOX Sports Arizona’s Jody Jackson reported on Friday that the jet had already picked up Fuentes’ family, they were safe and were going to stay in Miami that night.

“First of all, they were in survivor mode, like everybody else is right now. Ken Kendrick offered to send his private jet out to Puerto Rico to pick up my family,” Fuentes said. “The word came out to me from (Assistant General Manager) Jared Porter. So he called me to the office one day and was like, ‘We need to talk.’ I followed him, we sat down and he was like, ‘Ken Kendrick is going to send his private jet. We’re going to get your family safe.’

“So a big weight came off my shoulders. I felt relieved, I felt — all types of emotions ran through my head and body. I got chills. I’m just grateful for what he did.”

Kendrick saved Fuentes’ family who had been living in an area with extreme conditions and among people who might try to hurt them.

“No electricity obviously. There’s no water, gas is — they’re selling $10 worth of gas to every family and people are looting, that’s one of the things that was terrifying because I didn’t want my family to be in danger, so everybody’s going through that,” Fuentes said.

Fuentes and the Diamondbacks will return to Arizona Sunday night from Kansas City where he will be re-united with his family.

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