‘My daddy died a hero’: Helene takes lives of Beech Island high school sweethearts
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BEECH ISLAND, S.C. (WRDW/WAGT) - It was more than just a house; it was a home.
Jerry Savage built the walls of his home with his own two hands and a lot of love.
It’s where he and his bride of more than 50 years lived since 1975.
Jerry and Marcia were high school sweethearts, sharing a life and a birthday.
“I mean God brought them to the earth on the same day, different years and he took them on the same day,” said Tammy Estep, their daughter.
Estep rode out the storm in her house a few miles away.
Their son Mark Savage and grandson John Savage lived with them.
“It sounded like an explosion. That’s what it sounded like,” said Mark.
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“Boom! I run back there. All you can smell is pine. It’s all you can smell. And I open the door, get about that far open. All you can see is the ceiling and a pine tree. I had never been more panicked in my life,” said John.
A tree had fallen through their roof, onto his grandparents’ bed with them in it.
“I ran outside, tried to get a crowbar, tried to get in, couldn’t get in,” said John.
Once help arrived, it took multiple crews hours to get the tree off. The coroner told the family it weighed 1,300 pounds. They died instantly.
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“Yeah there was no pain from what we were told,” said John.
There’s now a tarp on the roof and the hole is patched, but part of their bedpost is still in the yard. Splintered branches still litter their bedroom.
“Here’s what we think is that when the tree fell on the house there was like a brief second that when it hit the roof my grandpa rolled over and rolled over on my grandma to protect her,” said John.
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Meredith: “Does that add comfort?”
“Yes. My daddy died a hero. Absolutely,” said Estep.
The two spent their last moments hugging one another. Their family believes it was God’s plan.
“My mom couldn’t have survived without my dad and vice versa,” said Estep.
Now, their family is figuring out how to survive without them.
But for now, they’re clinging to memories and to each other, much like Jerry and Marcia did in their final moments.
They had no insurance and right now the home is unliveable, so Mark and John are staying with Tammy and some other friends as well.
They’re hoping to get a camper on the land and stay there, maybe even rebuild. But, they lost pretty much everything and are in need of everything. Especially prayers.
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