A pair killed when Hurricane Helene hit the US final week had been discovered hugging one another in mattress, their grandson has mentioned.
Jerry Savage, 78, and his spouse Marcia, 74, had been sheltering with relations at their dwelling in Beech Island, South Carolina, whereas winds of as much as 140mph (225kmh) roared outdoors.
Certainly one of their grandchildren, 22-year-old John Savage, heard branches snap and went to the couple’s bed room to make sure they had been okay.
“They were both fine, the dog was fine,” he mentioned of the couple, who had been mendacity in mattress.
However Mr Savage and his father heard a “boom” a short while later when one of many greatest timber on their property crashed on high of his grandparents’ bed room and killed them.
“All you could see was ceiling and tree. I was just going through sheer panic at that point,” he mentioned.
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Aftermath of lethal Hurricane Helene
Mr Savage mentioned the household believed it was “God’s plan” for them to die collectively, somewhat than one undergo with out the opposite.
“When they pulled them out of there, my grandpa apparently heard the tree snap beforehand and rolled over to try and protect my grandmother,” he mentioned.
Described as a “doer”, Jerry was an electrician and a carpenter, whereas Marcia was a retired financial institution teller who was energetic in her church.
The 2 had been teenage sweethearts and married for over 50 years. Their daughter Tammy Estep mentioned their love was “immediate, and it was everlasting”.
“They loved each other to their dying day,” Mr Savage mentioned.
Jerry and Marcia are amongst greater than 150 victims confirmed to have died in Hurricane Helene – one of many deadliest storms in US historical past.
Dozens died when timber fell on their properties or vehicles, together with two South Carolina firefighters killed when a tree fell on their truck.
The hurricane hit a number of states, flooding properties, inflicting mudslides and wiping out cellphone networks.
