A Clemson University student was killed in a freak accident over the weekend when he was crushed and trapped by a fallen tree while cleaning a large area of trash in South Carolina, according to officials.
The Anderson County Coroner’s Office reported to Fox News Digital that 20-year-old Ethan Alexander Ackerman was killed on Saturday morning while he was with two cleaning up a large area of debris where several large trees had fallen after being uprooted.
Officials reported that one of the fallen trees suddenly stood back up, trapping Ackerman underneath it.
Ackerman’s friends tried to help him, but they couldn’t lift the heavy tree trunk off him, according to police.
Officials said that first rescuers took Ackerman out from under the tree, but he sadly died from his injuries at the scene.
The coroner’s office said that Ackerman suffered blunt force chest trauma resulting in traumatic asphyxiation, and the manner of death has been classified as accidental.
The coroner’s office stated that they are still looking into Ackerman’s death.
Clemson University told FOX Carolina that Ackerman was one of their students.
The Clemson Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation announced that Ackerman has passed away and said he was “known and loved by many.”
“Our department is very sad about the death of Ethan Ackerman, a junior studying Wildlife and Fisheries Biology and minoring in Forest Resources.” “Ethan loved wildlife and the outdoors, and he was excited to join our department from his first day on campus,” the group posted on Facebook.
Many people in FEC and around Clemson knew and liked Ethan for his kindness, sense of humor, and helpful nature. We miss him a lot and send our sympathy to everyone who had the chance to be with him.
Ackerman was a junior at Clemson University studying wildlife and marine biology and had a minor in forestry. He was looking forward to a career in land management, as noted in his obituary from Robinson Funeral Home.
According to his obituary, he played as an offensive lineman on two state title football teams at Daniel High School in Central, South Carolina.
A GoFundMe page has been created to help the Ackerman family pay for burial expenses.
They lost an important member of their family on Saturday morning. Ethan was the Rock of their family. “His strong shoulders and great strength helped him support anyone who needed a hug,” said a post on the page.
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