Hurricane Helene: Couple found dead hugging each other in bed after hurricane
A couple killed when Hurricane Helene hit the US last week were found hugging each other in bed, their grandson has said.
Jerry Savage, 78, and his wife Marcia, 74, were sheltering with family members at their home in Beech Island, South Carolina, while winds of up to 140mph (225kmh) roared outside.
One of their grandchildren, 22-year-old John Savage, heard branches snap and went to the couple’s bedroom to ensure they were okay.
A man working to recover his belongings from his home after Hurricane Helene passed through the Florida panhandle. Pic: Reuters
Debris being cleared from a badly damaged bridge in Barnardsville, North Carolina. Pic: Reuters
“They were both fine, the dog was fine,” he said of the couple, who were lying in bed.
But Mr Savage and his father heard a “boom” a short time later when one of the biggest trees on their property crashed on top of his grandparents’ bedroom and killed them.
“All you could see was ceiling and tree. I was just going through sheer panic at that point,” he said.
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Aftermath of deadly Hurricane Helene
Mr Savage said the family believed it was “God’s plan” for them to die 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,” he said.
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Described as a “doer”, Jerry was an electrician and a carpenter, while Marcia was a retired bank teller who was active in her church.
The two were teenage sweethearts and married for over 50 years. Their daughter Tammy Estep said their love was “immediate, and it was everlasting”.
A large oak lies on a home in South Carolina after Hurricane Helene. Pic: Reuters
Flood damage along the Pigeon River left by Hurricane Helene, in Tennessee. Pic: AP
“They loved each other to their dying day,” Mr Savage said.
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Jerry and Marcia are among more than 150 victims confirmed to have died in Hurricane Helene – one of the deadliest storms in US history.
Dozens died when trees fell on their homes or cars, including two South Carolina firefighters killed when a tree fell on their truck.
The hurricane hit multiple states, flooding homes, causing mudslides and wiping out phone networks.
US president-elect Donald Trump says he has appointed British TV producer Mark Burnett as his special envoy to the UK.
Mr Burnett, 64, created and worked alongside Mr Trump on the US series, The Apprentice, which made the president-elect internationally famous for firing a succession of contestants vying for roles in his businesses.
The London-born producer has also worked on popular reality shows such as Shark Tank, The Voice, and Survivor.
In a statement, Mr Trump said: “It is my great honour to appoint Mark Burnett as the special envoy to the United Kingdom.
“With a distinguished career in television production and business, Mark brings a unique blend of diplomatic acumen and international recognition to this important role.”
Mr Trump’s first campaign in 2016 was rocked by allegations about his conduct on The Apprentice and other appearances during his association with NBC, notably in footage in which he said he could sexually assault women and get away with it because he was a “star”.
The 78-year-old president-elect went on to praise Mr Burnett for “creating and producing some of the biggest shows in Television History,” and highlight how he won 13 Emmy Awards.
Mr Burnett’s spokesperson said in a statement to Variety he was “truly honoured to serve The United States of America and President Trump as his Special Envoy to the United Kingdom”.
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Mr Burnett will work to enhance diplomatic relations, focusing on areas of mutual interest, including trade, investment opportunities, and cultural exchanges, according to the statement.
It comes after Mr Trump, who will take office following his inauguration on 20 January, nominated businessman Warren Stephens to serve as America’s ambassador to the UK.
Earlier this week, Sir Keir Starmer named Labour grandee Lord Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US.
Lord Mandelson. Pic: PA
But the appointment didn’t seem to please Chris LaCivita, co-manager for Mr Trump’s presidential election campaign, who called Lord Mandelson an “absolute moron”.
In a post on X, Mr LaCivita said: “This UK govt is special replace a professional universally respected Ambo with an absolute moron – he should stay home! SAD!”
Mr Burnett is not the first of Mr Trump’s new administration appointees to have a background in TV.
The president-elect made former Fox News commentator and National Guard veteran Pete Hegseth his defence secretary and named celebrity doctor and former TV host, Mehmet Oz, as his administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
US
Trump campaign co-manager calls Lord Mandelson an ‘absolute moron’ as peer is confirmed as Starmer’s new US ambassador
The co-manager for Donald Trump’s presidential election campaign has called Lord Mandelson an “absolute moron” – as the peer was officially announced as the next UK ambassador to the US.
The Labour grandee, who served in Sir Tony Blair and Gordon Brown’s cabinets, will become the UK’s top diplomat in Washington as president-elect Trump returns to the White House in January.
In a post on X, Chris LaCivita linked to an article in The Daily Telegraph which reported on Lord Mandelson describing Mr Trump as “a danger to the world”.
The peer also described Mr Trump as “little short of a white nationalist and racist” during an interview with an Italian journalist in 2019, according to the newspaper.
In the post on X, Mr LaCivita said: “This UK govt is special replace a professional universally respected Ambo with an absolute moron – he should stay home! SAD!”
He added the headline of the piece in his post: “Mandelson described Trump as a danger to the world and ‘little short of a white nationalist’.”
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer confirmed the appointment of Lord Mandelson to the post.
The 71-year-old said: “We face challenges in Britain but also big opportunities and it will be a privilege to work with the government to land those opportunities, both for our economy and our nation’s security, and to advance our historic alliance with the United States.”
The prime minister said: “The United States is one of our most important allies and as we move into a new chapter in our friendship, Peter will bring unrivalled experience to the role and take our partnership from strength to strength.”
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Chris LaCivita, co-manager of Donald Trump’s election campaign. Pic: Reuters
Sir Keir also thanked outgoing US ambassador Dame Karen Pierce, who will leave the post at the beginning of next year.
“I would also like to thank Dame Karen Pierce for her invaluable service for the last four years, and in particular the wisdom and steadfast support she has given me personally since July,” he said.
“She made history as the first woman to serve as UK ambassador to the US and she has been an outstanding representative of our country abroad. I wish her all the very best in future.”
Lord Mandelson was one of the key architects of New Labour and helped the party return to power in the 1990s.
He served as Sir Tony’s trade secretary and Northern Ireland secretary before standing down as an MP in 2004 to become a European Commissioner.
After Mr Brown awarded him a peerage in 2008, Lord Mandelson returned to government as business secretary.
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