A Clemson University student was tragically killed during a freak accident last weekend when he was crushed by a fallen tree when cleaning an area of debris in South Carolina. Officials confirmed that 20-year-old Ethan Alexander Ackerman was killed on Saturday morning when he was working to clean and remove the debris from several uprooted trees.
According to reports, one of the trees suddenly snapped back into an upright position, trapping Ackerman at the base of the tree. Authorities claim that Ackerman’s friends were unable to remove the tree from the victim. Furthermore, officials explained that first responders were eventually able to remove Ackerman from underneath the tree, but he had succumbed to injuries sustained from the freak accident.
Following Ackerman’s death, there has been an outpouring of support from the community. The Clemson Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation released a statement on Ackerman’s death, praising his passion for the outdoors and noting he was “known and loved by many.” The department made glowing comments about the nature of Ackerman’s character.
“Our department is truly saddened by the passing of Ethan Ackerman, a junior Wildlife and Fisheries Biology major and Forest Resources minor. Ethan was passionate about wildlife and the outdoors, and he was eager to get involved with our department from his first day on campus. Ethan was known and loved by many in FEC and throughout Clemson for his kindness, humor, and willingness to help others. We miss him greatly and send our condolences to all who were lucky enough to spend time with him,” the statement shared on Facebook read.
Vice President for Student Affairs at Clemson University Doug Hallenbeck said in a statement on the university’s website, “We were heartbroken to learn the news of Ethan’s passing,” . “Ethan has been a valuable member of our University community, and we send our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loved ones as they make sense of his untimely passing. We hope for peace and comfort during this difficult time.”
A GoFundMe was subsequently set up to support the Ackerman family. The description read, “Please consider contributing to our fundraiser for the Ackermans. They lost a BIG part of their family on Saturday morning. Their son Ethan was involved in an unfortunate accident while clearing trees. Ethan was the Rock of their family.”
It continued, “His broad shoulders and massive strength allowed him to support whoever needed his embrace. Ethan’s calling was the outdoors and everything associated with it. Hunting, fishing and working the land was Ethan’s love. Ethan’s preferred dress was camo, Carhartt, blue jeans, cowboy hats and cowboy boots. Ethan is missed by his family, but taking the news especially hard is his 88-year-old grandfather, T.M. Ackerman. Ethan and Grandpa greeted each other by saying, “You are a Fine Fella” each time they saw each other. Please continue to keep their entire family in your prayers as they need God’s love to heal. Thank you for your support.”
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Featured image credit: GoFundMe / Support the Ackerman Family