Harris County father, son were spending time together golfing when killed during storm
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- Father and son killed by falling tree while golfing during severe storm with confirmed tornado rotation.
- Former Columbus police officer Matthew Collins Jr., 29, and father Matthew Collins Sr., 58, died together.
CNAW2News.com is learning more about a Harris County father and son who were spending time together golfing when they were killed by a tree.
Image: GoFundMe
Sunday afternoon, a Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia around 3:42 P.M., and shortly thereafter was upgraded to a Tornado Warning with a doppler radar confirmed rotation.
29-year-old Matthew Terrell Collins Jr., and his father, 58-year-old Matthew Terrell Collins Sr., were golfing at Bull Creek Golf Course on Lynch Road when the storm hit.
“They were spending time together when the storm struck—sharing a moment between father and son that would unknowingly become their last,” the organizer of a GoFundMe stated.
Collins Jr. and Collins Sr. took refuge in their golf cart when a tree fell leading to both of them being pronounced dead, according to Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan.
The organizer described Collins Jr. as a loyal friend, a kindhearted soul, and someone who always showed up for the people in his life. “He shared a deep bond with his father, and losing both of them so suddenly is a devastating blow to everyone who knew and loved them,” the organizer added. “Now, we’re coming together to support the person who meant the world to them—Matthew Jr.’s and Sr.’s wife and mother, who is now facing the unimaginable: laying to rest both her husband and her son.”
Image: Columbus GA Police Department
Collins Jr. served as a former Columbus police officer, according to the department. “Matthew Jr. served our department with pride, and we are grateful for his service to this community,” the department said. “We extend our deepest condolences to the Collins family and ask that you keep them in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time.”
Governor of Georgia Brian Kemp issued a statement shortly after the incident stating, “Marty, the girls, and I are saddened by the tragic deaths of two Georgians in Muscogee County today as a result of the severe weather. We ask that you join us in keeping their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, along with all those responding to storm damage.”
Columbus, and nearby community of Midland, were affected greatly by the storm and tornado. Flooded roads across all areas of Columbus, along with numerous trees coming down, power outages, and homes being damaged led to numerous road closures and the responses of first responders to several scenes.
Details regarding the tornado that affected north Columbus and Midland are unclear, but according to a report from local meteorologist Derek Kinkade at WTVM-TV, the tornado was rated an EF-1 by the National Weather Service.
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