Two members of the U.S. Army were killed Tuesday and three more injured after a “weather-related incident” on Yonah Mountain in northern Georgia.
The Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning said they “mourn the death” of the two service members, 2nd Lt. Evan Fitzgibbon and Staff Sgt. George Taber, in a statement provided to the Daily Caller. The individuals were hit by a fallen tree while sheltering from the weather.
“Injured personnel were treated by Army medics before being transferred to a local hospital,” the statement reads. “Three service members remain under the care of hospital staff.”
Fitzgibbon and Taber later died at the hospital of injuries sustained during the accident.
Fort Benning and the Maneuver Center of Excellence are confirming the death of two service members who were injured by a weather-related incident in the mountains of Georgia. https://t.co/aMJzuD4pjK
— WDHN (@WDHN) August 10, 2022
“We are all deeply saddened by the loss of these two outstanding Soldiers and send our heartfelt condolences to their families,” Maneuver Center of Excellence and Fort Benning Commanding General Maj. Gen. Curtis A. Buzzard said. “They are in our thoughts and prayers.” (RELATED: Dust Storm Leads To Multiple Deaths In Montana)
“Those who volunteer to attend Ranger School represent the very best of our military,” Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade Commander Col. Christopher C. Hammonds said. “This loss resonates across our Army and across our nation.”
A meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Georgia, told The New York Times that there was a severe thunderstorm warning near Yonah Mountain around 3:00 p.m., the day of the incident.
A lighting strike at Fort Gordon Army base in Georgia in July killed one service member and injured nine. The episode occurred in the training area of the base, a spokeswoman said at the time.