Hurricane Helene winds claimed the lives of Jerry (78) and Marcia (74) Savage after a tree fell onto their one-story home in Beech Island, South Carolina, on the morning of Sept. 28. They had been married for over 50 years.
The Savage’s 22-year-old grandson, John, and his father had been living at grandparents’ house for the past few years and were there when Hurricane Helene hit.
According to reports, John checked on the couple around 4:00 a.m. after hearing the sound of branches snapping. John recalled they were lying in bed together with their small dog—shaken by the storm, but alive.
“We heard one snap and I remember going back there and checking on them,” John said. “They were both fine, the dog was fine.”
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Moments later, John and his father heard what he described as a loud “boom.” The sound came from one of the largest trees on the property falling directly into Jerry and Marcia’s bedroom.
John said, “All you could see was ceiling and tree. I was just going through sheer panic at that point.”
Rescuers Found Jerry and Marcia Savage Hugging Each Other
When rescuers found Jerry and Marcia they were found hugging each other in their bed. John said that the “family thinks it was God’s plan to take them together, rather than one suffer without the other.”
“When they pulled them out of there, my grandpa apparently heard the tree snap beforehand and rolled over to try and protect my grandmother,” John said.
The Savages’ daughter, Tammy, told reporters, “My daddy was on top of my mama hugging her trying to protect her. The coroner had to pull them apart.”
Katherine, the Savages’ 27-year-old granddaughter, shared that her grandmother was “very active” at the couple’s church, adding that she had a “beautiful voice” and loved to sing gospel music. The Savages attended Second Baptist Church of Beech Island.