The father and son shared a “deep bond,” a person close to the family wrote
A father and son have died after a tree fell on them during a storm in Georgia, according to reports.
Matthew Terrell Collins Sr., 58, and his son, Matthew Terrell Collins Jr., 29, were at the Bull Creek Golf Course in Midland on the evening of Sunday, April 6 when the tree came down, according to 11 Alive, ABC affiliate WTVM and Atlanta News First.
The pair were in their golf cart when severe weather swept through the region, causing Matthew Sr. and Matthew Jr. to seek shelter under a tree, Muscogee County coroner Buddy Bryan told 11 Alive. He confirmed that the two men died of blunt force trauma.
“This seems like a terrible accident, but we’ll have the police department and the coroner do a thorough investigation. Our thoughts are with the family members of the deceased. This is a terrible storm that came through our community,” Columbus Fire-EMS Chief Sal Scarpa told ABC affiliate WSBTV.
In a GoFundMe page created to support Matthew Sr.’s widow and Matthew Jr.’s mom, the organizer described their deaths as “a heartbreaking and unimaginable loss.”
“They were spending time together when the storm struck — sharing a moment between father and son that would unknowingly become their last,” the organizer wrote.
The deadly accident is one of several that have occurred over the past week due to extreme weather. Since Wednesday, April 2, at least 20 people have died as flooding and tornadoes have left a path of destruction in the South and Midwest, according to ABC News.
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Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp spoke out after he learned about the deaths of the two men.
“Marty, the girls, and I are saddened by the tragic deaths of two Georgians in Muscogee County today as a result of the severe weather,” Kemp posted on X on Sunday. “We ask that you join us in keeping their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, along with all those responding to storm damage.”
For the family of the father and son, the loss is great.
“Matthew Jr. was a loyal friend, a kindhearted soul, and someone who always showed up for the people in his life,” wrote the GoFundMe organizer. As of Monday, April 7, the campaign has raised $11,585 to cover funeral costs.
The pair shared a “deep bond,” the organizer continued. “Losing both of them so suddenly is a devastating blow to everyone who knew and loved them.”
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