Two firefighters killed during Hurricane Helene rescue mission after tree fell onto truck

Two South Carolina firefighters were killed during a Hurricane Helene rescue mission after a tree fell onto their truck.

Chief Chad Satcher, 53, and volunteer firefighter Landon Bodie, 18, of the Saluda County Fire Service, were responding to a fire on Friday when a tree fell and hit their truck. The fire service is an emotional tribute on Facebook, praising their heroic rescue efforts and saying the deaths were "a devastating loss.

They added: "We would like to thank our community, state and nation for the outpouring of comfort and support during this difficult time. Please continue to keep our firefighters and families in your thoughts and prayers as they begin to heal from this loss."

READ MORE: Mom missing after Hurricane Helene swept entire home into river before husband lost grip of her hand

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Bodie had recently graduated before volunteering his time to help others in the fire service. His obituary said: "His commitment to helping those in need and protecting his community was a testament to his selflessness and bravery", reports USAToday.

Satcher had been in the fire service since graduating in 1989 - earning multiple awards during his tenure with the Circle Fire Department and was named the department’s Fireman of the Year in 1992, 1995, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2022. He also received the Saluda County Fire Service’s Firefighter of the Year in 2017.

It comes as a mother remains missing in North Carolina after Hurricane Helene swept the family home into a river before her husband lost grip of her hand in the flood.

Kim Ashby and her husband Rod had just completed building their dream home in Elk Park, NC, when disaster struck last Thursday . Kim and Rod had decided to visit their newly build mountain home before the storm slammed into the state in a bid to ensure it would be secure.

However, her worried children, Chris and Jessica Meidinger, have spoken out, saying the couple "didn't know that it was going to to be what it turned into" - as Helene wreaked havoc across southern states - with 166 now confirmed dead . Rod had built the home with his own two hands, before their dream getaway space turned into a nightmare as Helene slammed into their town on Thursday night.

Chris and Jess last heard from their mom on Thursday night, and explained to ABC11 that Kim and Rod had made sure to lift anything precious off the ground floor of the home - which Rod had specifically built a 12ft higher than the last record highest flood.

Kim had called her children to say they had made it safely to the home and reassured them flooding was far from their home. Later in Friday morning, Kim was reportedly pouring coffee when a violent crack sounded through the house - later realising a supportive beam had cracked.

By the time they rushed to get to higher ground, it was too late and the couple were forced to simply shelter in their bedroom with their three dogs. Huddling on their mattress, the house was being swept away before it suddenly slammed into the river bank and collapsed around them.

Kim and Rod clutched one another's hands as the storm water submerged them and their home, however the powerful flood later slammed them into a tree and ripped them apart. Rod was found 24 hours later on Saturday. Chris said: "That's what split them apart, and he was not able to hold on to her."