‘Hero’ Grandfather Dies After Saving Twin Granddaughters from a Falling Tree Limb: 'He Sacrificed His Life'

A Georgia grandfather is being hailed arsenic a “hero” aft sacrificing himself to prevention his copy granddaughters.

Manuel Pinzon, 77, died connected Wednesday, May 28, aft pushing nan 2 8-year-old children, Isabella and Gabriela, retired of nan measurement erstwhile a character limb almost fell connected apical of them, according to WANF-TV, WSB-TV and ABC News.

Jason Krause, nan twins’ father, said nan incident happened astatine astir 12 p.m. section clip while his daughters were spending clip astatine their grandfather’s location successful Dacula. He told nan outlets nan kids had been exploring nan wood down Pinzon’s location erstwhile they recovered a babe deer.

As they returned to their grandfather pinch news of nan sighting, Pinzon told them to eat luncheon first earlier going backmost retired to cheque if nan cervid needed immoderate nutrient aliases water.

The twins, Pinzon and his sister past went extracurricular to cheque connected nan cervid erstwhile nan freak mishap happened, according to WANF-TV.

“There was a very large cracking sound, crashing,” Krause told WSB-TV. “Cracking is benignant of really they described it, and they sewage shoved retired of nan way."

"Then, erstwhile [the twins] turned back, [Pinzon] had gotten them retired of nan measurement and taken nan afloat deed of a falling branch, a falling limb connected his head, and he didn’t make it," he added.

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The 20-foot branch had fallen from astatine slightest 60 feet successful nan air, and Pinzon "took nan afloat brunt of that branch connected his head," Krause told ABC News and WSB-TV.

He said that 1 of nan twins called 911, while nan different ran backmost into nan location to get help. One of Pinzon's granddaughters besides followed directions from first responders to put a rag down their grandfather's caput to support it stable.

Emergency responders yet arrived connected nan segment to carrier Pinzon to nan hospital. He died astir 4 hours aft nan incident, per WSB-TV.

“He sacrificed his life to prevention my 2 twins from a tree,” Krause told WANF-TV. In a abstracted question and reply pinch WSB-TV, he added of Pinzon, “He chose to protect his sister and these 2 girls alternatively of himself. And I don’t deliberation that should beryllium forgotten. He was a hero."

Gabriela told WANF-TV that her grandpa died “as a hero."

Krause told ABC News that his daughters would statesman trauma counseling nan pursuing week to thief them woody pinch nan abrupt nonaccomplishment of their grandfather, arsenic “having him gone for illustration that was very traumatic."

He explained that Pinzon was "one of nan biggest influences successful their life,” and he picked them up from schoolhouse doubly a week.

The man's family told WANF-TV that Pinzon was personification who loved being outdoors and loved his family. He fled Colombia 30 years agone to activity retired a amended life for his woman and daughters successful America, WSB-TV reported.

"He was a awesome person. I've known him for almost 18 years now, I wish I could beryllium half nan personification he was. He was amazing," Krause told ABC News, adding that Pinzon would person turned 78 connected June 8.

Pinzon leaves down 2 daughters, 5 grandchildren and a woman of 50 years, per nan outlet.