Jerry Savage, 78, and his wife Marcia Savage, 74, were among the millions of people sheltering with family as Hurricane Helene ripped through the southeastern United States, including their hometown of Beech Island, SC.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck the family when a tree came down on the couple’s home, where they slept in their bedroom, killing both Jerry and Marcia, People reported.
“When they pulled them out of there, my grandpa apparently heard the tree snap beforehand and rolled over to try and protect my grandmother,” said John Savage, Jerry and Marcia’s 22-year-old grandson, said in an interview.
John was in the house at the time of the accident. He said he heard branches snapping of trees that night and was keeping a close eye on his grandparents to ensure they were safe.
“We heard one snap and I remember going back there and checking on them,” John said. “They were both fine, the dog was fine.”
Not long after, he and his father heard a giant “boom” and started to panic. When they went into Jerry and Marcia’s bedroom to check on them, they were met with chaos.
“All you could see was ceiling and tree. I was just going through sheer panic at that point,” said John. One of the biggest trees on the property had fallen directly on the bedroom, right where Jerry and Marcia were.
While their deaths tragic, the Savage family believes it was “God’s plan” that they died together.
Jerry’s daughter describes him as a “doer”
In an interview with CBS News, Jerry’s 54-year-old daughter, Tammy Estep, described her father as a “doer” who wasn’t one for sitting around.
“He’d get that spirit back in him to go back out and work,” she said after he retired, describing him as the hardest worker she knew. Jerry spent most of his career as an electrician and carpenter, and was always doing something handy.
As for his wife, Marcia was a retired bank teller who was active with her church, where she spent as much time as she could. She also loved to sing, according to her 27-year-old granddaughter, Katherine Savage.
Jerry and Marcia were married for over 50 years, and their love was described as “immediate” and “everlasting.”
“Jerry and Marcia were two of the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever known,” a GoFundMe page read. “They are my husband’s grandparents, survived by their son Mark Savage and daughter Tammy Estep (Darrell) as well as 4 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren.”
According to a report by CNN on Thursday, at least 191 people have died across six states as search and rescue teams continue to uncover some of the tragedies left behind by Hurricane Helene.
North Carolina has seen the most confirmed deaths at 95 people, followed by South Carolina with 39, Georgia with 25, Florida with 19, Tennessee with 11, and Virginia with two.
Officials fear that the death toll will only continue to rise as more people are discovered.
Many communities continue to deal with the aftermath of what’s considered one of the deadliest storms in US history. Roads remain closed, power outages are still rampant, and more.
You can help those impacted by Hurricane Helene with a financial donation by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or texting the word HELENE to 90999.
