Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

Father & Son Killed By Fallen Tree During 'Violent' Storm While Golfing

Originally posted on The Spun | By Matt Hladik | Last updated Apr 7, 2025 5:07 PM ET

A father and son who went out golfing in Georgia Sunday were tragically killed by a falling tree.

Matthew Terrell Collins Sr., 58, and his son, Matthew Terrell Collins Jr., 29, were playing at Bull Creek Golf Course in Midland when a "violent" storm caused them to seek shelter under a tree. The tree they were sitting under proceeded to fall on their golf cart. The two golfers were crushed, and were officially pronounced dead just after 6 p.m. ET, per 11Alive.

Muskogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan confirmed to TMZ Sports that both men were killed "instantly."

“This seems like a terrible accident, but we’ll have the police department and the coroner do a thorough investigation. Our thoughts are with the family members of the deceased. This is a terrible storm that came through our community,” Columbus Fire-EMS Chief Sal Scarpa told WSBTV.

A GoFundMe has been started in an attempt to raise $20,000 for funeral expenses for both men. So far, more than $16,000 in donations have poured in.

"They were spending time together when the storm struck—sharing a moment between father and son that would unknowingly become their last," the GoFundMe reads.

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp offered his condolences to the Collins family and Matthew Sr. and Jr.'s friends and loved ones in a post on X/Twitter.

"Marty, the girls, and I are saddened by the tragic deaths of two Georgians in Muscogee County today as a result of the severe weather," Kemp wrote. "We ask that you join us in keeping their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers, along with all those responding to storm damage."

According to WRBL, the storm that took the lives of the Collins men has been unofficially classified as an EF-1 tornado with 90 mph winds. Officials say the winds were on the ground for 2.6 miles.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: