A married couple in their 70s were killed when a tree crashed through the roof of a South Carolina home as Hurricane Helene raged across the Southeastern U.S.

They were identified as 78-year-old Jerry Savage and 74-year-old Marcia Savage, of Beech Island. A coroner with the Aiken County Coroner’s Office pronounced them dead at the scene, according to authorities.

John Savage, their grandson, said the two were found hugging one another in their bed on Sept. 27. He said his loved ones believe it was God’s plan to take them 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. “They loved each other to their dying day.”

Other family members also praised the couple, saying they were teenage sweethearts who were married for more than 50 years. Their daughter, Tammy Estep, said their love was “immediate, and it was everlasting.”

Condolences posted on social media remembered the couple as generous, kind and humble.

A GoFundMe account was allegedly set up to help pay for funeral expenses, with a woman claiming to be a relative describing them as “two of the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever known.” She said they are survived by two children, as well as four grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

“As many of you may know, Jerry and Marcia Savage were taken too soon during Hurricane Helene. I am raising funds to cover the costs of the funeral to lay them to rest,” according to the GoFundMe account.

There were at least two other deaths in Beech Island, with 29-year-old Michael Roukous of Dexter, New York, dying after a tree crashed through the roof of a house he was renting in the area. A 70-year-old man was also pronounced dead after a tree slammed through the roof of his home.

They are among more than 200 people who were killed as Helene unleashed its fury across multiple states.