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Family Mourns The Loss Of Local Man Killed Tuesday By Falling Tree
September 15, 2009
Family members are mourning the loss of a Century man killed Tuesday morning by a falling tree.
Kathy Brady said her father, 69-year old Coy Otis Rhea, was struck and killed by the 40-foot tree being cut down at his rental home.
The accident was reported about 10:55 Tuesday morning at the end of Gilmore Road, a small residential road located just off Killam Road, about a half mile north of Highway 4.
“I know where he’s at,” Brady said of her father, who she described as a devout Christian man. “It’s a very big shock.”
“He was very special,” she said. “He’s a good father, very much a Christian, very much. Everybody he met loved him.”
Brady (pictured left) said her father had retired from his 30 year career working in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. He had recently moved back to Florida with his wife Esterline, 67, about a a year ago to help Brady battle cancer. She said that her father died one day before his 26th wedding anniversary.
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the death, with investigators and crime scene units examining the scene.
“It looks like it was an accident,” Investigator Frank Way said. He said three people were cutting the tree down, and they were not aware that Rhea was nearby. Rhea was struck and killed between two sheds near his home. Way said it was not clear if the tree or a portion of one of the sheds actually struck Rhea.
Authorities said the men were using a rope and a tractor to pull the tree away from the sheds while they used a chainsaw to cut it, but the rope broke.
“They thought he was out of the way,” Way said.
For more photos from the scene, click here.
Pictured above: When the tree in this photo was cut Tuesday morning, it struck and killed a Century man. Pictured below: Investigators at the scene. Pictured insets: Coy Otis Rhea and Kathy Brady holds the photo of her father. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
17 Responses to “Family Mourns The Loss Of Local Man Killed Tuesday By Falling Tree”
I didn’t realize Mr Rhea was your granddaddy, Katrina. I’m so sorry for your loss. We will be praying for you and your family.
I pray that family and friends of this very kind-looking gentleman are comforted with the Lord’s Presence during this painful time. I offer you The Word below, which comforts me when a believer is taken:
Isaiah 57
1The righteous perish, and no man lays it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come.
Now, be blessed as he now rests……..In Peace.
I am a dear driend to the family, I am deeply sorry for the loss of papaw. My heart breaks for everyone one of you. My thoughts & prayers will be with you all. I love you all dearly.
When work crews were needed to help fellow Ray’s Chapel members with their yard work, Coy was always willing and able to help every time I called him for help. Thank you for your big heart and being a cheerful and hard laborer for Christ.
Hello Everyone,
I am Coy Rhea’s granddaughter (Papaw’s Pet) and would like to thank all of you for your words of encouragement. I will be sure to pass them along to my family. With everyone’s prayers we are sure to make it through this.
The Words of Jesus, our Savior – “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; Trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. John 14: 1-2
My Papaw was a man of a strong Christian faith and we all know that he has finally made it to our creator, the best place to be. He would want me to say to all of you – Don’t let another minute pass by before you make the decision yourself to believe that Jesus is God’s Son, that He died on the cross so that we could be forgiven for our sins. Accept the gift that Jesus has offered, repent of your sins, and inherit everlasting life. You don’t have to be eloquent in your speech to talk to God. He has even the hairs on your head numbered. He knows you better than you could ever know yourself. Don’t miss out on the best present that you could ever receive. Someone said to me yesterday when it started raining that it was ‘cleaning his soul,’ but I know better than that. My Papaw’s soul was cleased a LONG time ago. I pray that each and every one of you has your soul cleased by the Master. Now…not a minute later.
Romans 10:9 states, “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
John 14: 6 Jesus answered, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
My Papaw LOVED being outside. Just this growing season he helped to make mine and his garden grow more than I could possibly ever eat in one season. I take that back….he pretty much did it all on his own. My only regret is that I didn’t learn enough from him. He was getting his property cleared off so that he could plant his own garden. If he were here now, I would tell him that he didn’t have to do that, he had a garden….our garden.
Funeral arrangements have been made and are as follows: Friday, September 18th at 6:00pm at Flomation Funeral Home and Sunday, September 20th at 2pm in Tennessee (location unknown at this time but I will get back here and let everyone know as soon as I do).
Go Rest High on that Mountain Papaw, We Love You!!!
In Service to Christ,
Katrina Williamson
If you would like to know more about Jesus, feel free to call me anytime.
At work (M-F 2pm-5pm) (850) 968-6213 (please leave a message if no one is available and I WILL call you back)
or at home (850) 968-4031
or on my cell (850) 777-9666
Kathy I am so sorry about your dad.I have thought about you a lot and wondered about your cancer.
Granny Ester
My love and prayers are with you and your family. I pray you fill God peace and love wrapped around you. Bradi remembers picking corn with Mr.Coy. He was loved by everyone who knew him but never forgotting. We miss you and always love you Granny Ester. We will pray daily for the hurt you and your family are going through. With love and prayers
We at Byrneville United Methodist Church would like to give our condolences to the family and friends of Coy Rhea. May God Bless you and strengthen you in the days to come. Our prayers are with you. If there is anything that the church family can do for you and your family please give us a call.
Love in Christ
Rev. Joe Hensel Jr.
My heart goes out to his family, I as well live on killam rd, and was gone to the hospital in mobile for another tragic accident that also happened yesterday morning with the school bus/van crash that was on hwy 4 in bratt… I don’t know this family of Mr. Rhea and he lived just around the corner from me, but my heart does go out to each and every one of his family members…
~Angi
ESTER@CATHY@FAMILY,
SEPT.16, 2009
WE ARE SO SHOCKED,WORDS CANNOT EXPRESS OUR SORROW.I,M SO GLAD TO FIND THIS SITE.I COULDN’T CALL. I DIDN’ WANT TO INTERFERE WITH YOU GRIEF.I,M THINKING ABOUT YOU ALL.THE HEART ACHE YOU’VE BEEN THRU DEALING WITH SO MUCH ILLNESS.I HOPE YOU HEARD THE SERMON PREACHED ONE SUNDAY. ITS O K TO ASK GOD WHY?THAT HELP ME A LOT.I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT WAS WRONG.PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CALL ME IF YOU NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TOO ANY TIME GOD BE WITH YOU MAZELLE
Words cannot describe how I feel right now for the family. I am the chaplain for the Sevier County Fire Dept. in Tennessee. One of our firefighters was Coy’s son Micheal. As a dept. I would like to say that our thoughts and prayers are with the family at this time. God bless…..!
My heart goes out to all the family and close friends. May god be near and dear to all of you in the days ahead. Please if we can be of any help let us know. Love and prayers be with all of you.
Carl & Sylvia godwin
dear miss ester i am sorry for yalls lost i new how yall fell. two years ago i lost my papa mcarthur
love jessica & julia mcarthur
ps if you need any thing call us.
dear miss easter and your family i am sorry for yalls lost i know how you fell because two years from today 9-15-09 i lost my papa mcarthur.
love jessica b &julia ann
ps if you need anything let us know
We are so sorry for your lost. All of you are in our prayers.
God Bless you guys. Sorry for your loss.
we are praying for the family i didn,t know him good but he and his family were good friends with my mom and daughter im so sorry for your loss yall have been through so much the past year we will keep yall in our prayers love yall if you need any thing call mom