South Carolina fire chief, volunteer firefighter killed after a tree fell on their truck during Helene

A South Carolina fire department is mourning the loss of its chief and another firefighter who were killed responding to Hurricane Helene.

Chief Chad Satcher, 53, and volunteer firefighter Landon Bodie, 18, were working for the Saluda County Fire Service early Friday. They responded to a fire when a tree fell and hit their fire engine, the Saluda County Fire Service shared on Facebook Sunday.

Calling their deaths “a devastating loss,” the department said the pair worked out of the Circle Volunteer Fire Department station, about 35 miles west of Columbia.

“We would like to thank our community, state and nation for the outpouring of comfort and support during this difficult time,” the fire service said. 

“Please continue to keep our firefighters and families in your thoughts and prayers as they begin to heal from this loss.”

Young firefighter was passionate about agriculture, working with his hands

Bodie graduated recently from Blythewood High School, where he was part of the Future Farmers of America, his online obituary reads. He spent lots of time with his grandfather strengthening his carpentry skills.

He loved the outdoors, including hunting and fishing. 

“His commitment to helping those in need and protecting his community was a testament to his selflessness and bravery,” his obituary reads.

He was known for his “warm smile, his generous spirit, and his unwavering dedication to his family, friends, and community,” his obituary reads. “His legacy will live on in the hearts of all who knew him.”

Wife asks for prayers for her late husband and their family

Satcher, the fire chief, graduated from high school in 1989 and immediately joined the Circle Fire Department. He worked there for 35 years and became a fire chief in January 2023, according to his online obituary.

Satcher worked as a licensed plumber and as a foreman for Derrick Plumbing since 1992, his obituary reads. He put in thousands of hours training to hone in his skills as a firefighter and was “highly respected within the firefighting community,” his obituary read.

He racked up a series of awards during his tenure with the Circle Fire Department and was named the department’s Fireman of the Year in 1992, 1995, 2012, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2020 and 2022. He also received the Saluda County Fire Service’s Firefighter of the Year in 2017. 

He mentored, served as a training officer and also worked with the Saluda County Fire Board and Fire Prevention Committee, according to his obituary.

He was an avid churchgoer, husband and father. He married his wife, Summer, in April 2001. 

After his wife heard about his accident, she made a plea on social media for prayers for both him and Bodie.

“Pray hard,” she wrote. “Chad and another firefighter have been in an accident and they can't get to them and they aren't answering the radio or phones. Please pray.”

After he passed, she shared an update with loved ones online.

“I have no words right now except to say that we feel your love, prayers and support,” she wrote, adding that she was heartbroken. “The love of my life, my best friend, is gone. Please continue to pray for us. We love you all.”

According to both obituaries, memorial donations can be made to the South Carolina State Firefighters Foundation.