Two people found dead in storm-damaged home in Buford

Posted 7:04AM on Friday, October 30, 2020

A man and a woman were killed when a large hardwood tree crashed through the roof and the wall of their home in Buford on Thursday.

Capt. Tommy Rutledge with the Gwinnett County Fire Department said firefighters and police officers were called to the home on West Garner Street at 12:26 p.m. by the brother of the male victim. Rutledge said the brother was unable to reach anyone at the house, so he went to check on them.

"The man was unable to gain access to the bedroom due to the damage and was not able to make contact with his brother," Rutledge said in a press statement. "Crews arrived to find the roof collapsed over the majority of the structure and immediately worked to gain a visual inside the bedroom."

Rutledge said the man and woman were found dead at the scene, pinned in their bed by the fallen tree.

"The Fire Department’s Technical Rescue Team assessed the structural integrity and began recovery operations. Willard Wrecker Services provided a boom and winch combination to assist with stabilizing the tree as firefighters cut away the limbs with chainsaws," Rutledge said. "This is a very tragic situation for the family and the community. The incident demonstrates the magnitude of the powerful wind gusts during the aftermath of Tropical Storm Zeta."

Rutledge said the exact time the tree fell is unknown, but is believed to have happened as the storm moved through the area.

The names of the victims will be released by the Medical Examiner’s Office.

B.J. Williams