An elderly couple was found dead, hugging each other, after one of the biggest trees on their South Carolina property crashed through the top of their bedroom during Hurricane Helene.

According to the Associated Press (AP), 74-year-old Marcia and 78-year-old Jerry Savage were found by their grandson, John, after he and his father heard a “boom” and went to check on the couple.

John, 22, said he had previously heard a snap and went to check on his grandparents, who were lying in bed, and “they were both fine”.

However, after the tragic accident, “all you could see was ceiling and tree,” John was quoted saying. “I was just going through sheer panic at that point.”

Considering that the couple was found hugging each other at the time of the accident, the family believes that it was God’s plan to take them together, rather than one suffering without the other, AP reported.

“When they pulled them out of there, my grandpa apparently heard the tree snap beforehand and rolled over to try and protect my grandmother,” John had told AP.

The international news outlet said that the Savages are among the more than 150 people confirmed dead in one of the deadliest storms in US history. It reported that dozens of Hurricane Helene’s victims died just like the elderly couple, as trees would have fallen on homes or cars. The dead include two South Carolina firefighters killed when a tree fell on their truck.

The couple was described as generous, kind and humble in condolence messages posted on social media, AP said.

It added that a GoFundMe organised for their funeral expenses said they were survived by their son and daughter, along with four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

The two were teenage sweethearts and married for over 50 years.

“They loved each other to their dying day,” John said.