On the night of September 27, powerful winds and heavy rain startled Jerry and Marcia Savage awake in their one-story home in Beech Island, South Carolina.
The storm also disturbed their 22-year-old grandson, who was keeping vigil in the living room of the house where the couple had lived since 1975.
As the storm approached, around 4 a.m., he rushed to their bedroom, where they were resting with their small dog, to check if they were alright, as per their daughter Tammy Estep from Aiken County. The couple appeared shaken but safe.
Tragically, just an hour later, as they dozed back off, a tree crashed through their roof, claiming the lives of the elderly couple.
“My father had wrapped his arms around my mother to shield her,” Estep, 54, recounted on Thursday. “The coroner had to separate them.”
The Savages, whose home was near the Georgia border, are among those who lost their lives when Hurricane Helene tore through the Southeastern United States, causing widespread loss and chaos.
According to an analysis by YSL News Network, the death toll in the region surpassed 200 after North Carolina officials reported 97 fatalities. South Carolina has documented 41 deaths, followed by Georgia with 33, Florida with 19, Tennessee with 11, and Virginia with two, totaling 203 lives lost.
‘The biggest bang of their life’
On the day the storm struck, Estep was at home with her husband, about eight miles away in North Augusta’s Clearwater area.
“A tree fell in front of our house, blocking us in, so we couldn’t reach them immediately,” Estep remembered.
By 9:30 a.m., they were finally able to head south.
“They were all asleep when they woke up around 4 a.m., and then at approximately 5:20 a.m. they heard the most terrifying noise of their lives,” Estep explained. “That’s when the tree fell.”
Her nephew, John Savage, couldn’t reach the bedroom from the living room to check on them again since the door was blocked.
He learned about their deaths only when first responders arrived.
Firefighters showed up around 11:40 a.m., Estep recalled, and a coroner’s official confirmed that the couple had passed away.
The family also discovered that their dog, a two-year-old Chow Chow mix named Angel, had died alongside the couple in bed.
“My grandfather seemed to have heard the tree snap beforehand and turned to protect my grandmother,” Savage noted.
Aiken County Coroner Darryl M. Ables confirmed the couple’s fatalities to YSL News on Thursday but did not disclose official causes, only stating that an autopsy indicated their deaths were accidental.
Fundraiser launched for funeral expenses
Estep informed that the couple’s home is beyond repair.
The family has no intention of rebuilding.
They are preparing to lay their parents to rest on Saturday.
A fundraising campaign has been initiated to assist the family with the funeral costs, emphasizing that the couple’s lives were “cut short.”
“Jerry and Marcia were truly some of the kindest and most giving individuals I have ever known,” their daughter-in-law Brittany Estep stated in the fundraising campaign she organized.
As of Thursday, over 65 individuals had contributed nearly $3,900 to support the family.
‘They were born the same day and they died the same day’
Estep shared how her parents were high school sweethearts and had been married for 50 years at the time of their passing.
Jerry Savage, 78, was born in Augusta, Georgia, to William and Frances Savage, as stated in the couple’s obituary, while his wife, 74, was born in LaFayette, Georgia, to Wallace and Geneva Webb.
“They share the same birthday (January 22), just a few years apart, and they left this world on the same day,” Estep reflected. “We see it as part of God’s plan.”
She mentioned that her father was a builder and electrician who loved oil painting and had a passion for cars and motorcycles, particularly Harley Davidsons. His wife retired from a successful career in banking.
Estep shared, “My mother was deeply committed to the church, and her grandchildren were everything to her. She dedicated her life to her family, and being a homemaker brought her immense joy and love.”
According to their daughter, both parents were active members of Second Baptist Church Beech Island and held a profound love for the Lord.
On Thursday, Estep reflected with a soft chuckle, “I know exactly where they are now. That’s beyond doubt.”
The couple leaves behind their daughter, grandson, along with their son Mark Savage, son-in-law Darrell Estep, grandchildren Chris Estep (Brittany), Brandon Estep (Jennifer), Katherine Savage, and seven great-grandchildren.
A funeral for the couple is scheduled for Saturday at Pineview Memorial Gardens in North Augusta, South Carolina.
