It’s now official. Laurens County has had multiple fatalities from the remnants of Hurricane Helene. Chief Deputy Coroner Patti Canupp reported yesterday that three people were killed here Friday from falling trees.
Mrs. Canupp said that two Clinton men were killed around 8:00 Friday morning while traveling to help remove trees downed by the storm. She said 31-year-old Richard Dylan Rathbone and 41-year-old Thomas Carson Lawson were in a vehicle on North Sloan Street, approaching Davis Street, when a tree fell on their vehicle, killing them both. She said the tree pinned them both in the vehicle. Both died at the scene.
A third man was killed in Laurens County Friday when a tree fell onto his camper. First Responders were able to pull the man and his wife from the camper on Watts Bridge Road, Cross Hill. CPR was performed on the man, to no avail. Chief Deputy Coroner Patti Canupp states that 59-year-old Carl Thomas Bailey of Cross Hill died at the scene. The Sheriff’s Office reportedly transported his wife to the hospital for treatment of her injuries. She was admitted for further treatment.
The Laurens County death toll from Helene could rise to five, pending further investigation. Chief Deputy Coroner Patti Canupp told WLBG of an investigation into two additional deaths which may have resulted from storm-related power outages to medical equipment. A determination for those two cases was awaiting further information.
