‘He was a hero’: Grandfather sacrifices his life to save twin granddaughters from fallen tree limb

ATLANTA (WANF/Gray News) - A Georgia grandfather was killed by a tree limb after saving his granddaughters while in their backyard.

Manuel Pinzon, 78, was struck by a tree limb that fell on Wednesday afternoon.

His son-in-law, Jason Krause, said Pinzon saved his 8-year-old twin granddaughters by pushing them out of the way.

“He sacrificed his life to save my two twins from a tree,” Krause said. “They got shoved out of the way. He got them out of the way, but took the full hit of a fallen limb on his head and he didn’t make it.”

The twins, Isabella and Gabi, were outside with their grandfather and his sister when the family said they all heard a loud cracking sound from above.

Moments later, Pinzon was injured on the ground.

“I told my sister to run to the front yard and to get some help,” Gabi said.

The twins are ing their grandfather as their hero.

“He saved me,” Gabi said.

Pinzon loved his family and the outdoors, Krause said. His son-in-law said he was the greatest man he had ever known.

“For as sad as everybody is and for as much crying as everyone’s done since, all I want to do is toast him,” Krause said. “And I want to celebrate him because he was a hero.”

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