A 15-year-old volunteer firefighter was crushed to death when storm winds uprooted a tree and brought it crashing down on top of him.
Victim Evan Christopher Kinley was visiting his grandparents in Anderson County, South Carolina when the tree fell on him as he got out of the family car.
Paramedics declared him dead at the scene on 7th August.
His school district Anderson Five said in a statement: “Anderson Five extends its deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to his family during this unimaginable time.
“Words never seem to adequately convey comfort during a time like this, but as a school district we must take a moment to remember why we are in the roles that we are, and that we serve as a beacon of light during dark times.”
The Broadway Fire Department, where Evan volunteered, described him as “a great kid”.
His American football coach Jason Tone said Evan “just always had a smile on his face”.
And his father Chris Kinley said that Evan would be “greatly missed”.
A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up to cover “lost wages for Evan’s Dad and family as this passing was completely unexpected.”
At the time of writing, it had raised USD 3,780 (GBP 2,960) out of a USD 2,000 (GBP 1,565) target.
Evan is due to be buried on 12th August in a full firefighters’ ceremony.
