US Couple Loses Arms Holding Each Other During Devastating EF-4 Tornado
A US couple lost an arm each as they were sheltering inside their home, trying to evade a devastating EF-4 tornado that hit Kentucky last week. Paul and Gail Cline, who are in their 60s and from Laurel County, were holding each other, which led to each of them losing their opposite arms, according to a report in NBC affiliate WLEX.
"When they were found, they were holding each other, and that's why they lost opposite arms, because they were holding on to each other, and whatever impacted them impacted them at the same time," said Brandy Bowman about her uncle and aunt.
As per Ms Bowman, both of them were in the bedroom when the tornado hit the area on May 16. A neighbour heard the couple shouting for help and scurried there to pull them into a hallway.
"He pulled a cord from something and put a tourniquet on her arm, and that's what kept her from bleeding out," said another one of the Clines' nieces, Taylor Baker.
After being pulled out, both were taken to London Hospital. While Mr Cline is doing alright, his wife has suffered broken ribs, liver and lung damage and staples in her head.
A GoFundMe page has been set up for the Clines. The page highlighted that the couple's home was ripped apart and that they also lost both of their vehicles. As of the last update, over 1,200 people had donated more than Rs 52 lakh ($61,000) for the couple.
The National Weather Service confirmed that the tornado was a powerful EF-4 storm that devastated local communities and killed 19 people. As per the official meteorological data, the tornado reached peak winds of 170 miles per hour.
At its widest point, it was nearly a mile wide, and it stayed on the ground for approximately 56 miles. The agency stated that EF-4 tornado's path of damage spanned Russell, Pulaski and Laurel counties, starting in the town of Somerset and ending in London. It was only the sixth EF4 or EF5 tornado in Kentucky in the last 50 years.
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