Kentucky couple loses opposite arms while holding each other as tornado struck home
During a recent tornado, Paul and Gail Cline from Kentucky lost their arms while sheltering together.
A Kentucky couple lost an arm each as they were sheltering inside their home during a devastating tornado last week, according to their relatives, a report by WLEX stated. Paul and Gail Cline, who are in their 60s, were in the bedroom of their Laurel County home when the tornado hit and a neighbor heard them scream.
Their niece Brandy Bowman told the local news that the couple lost opposite arms because "they were holding each other" during the storm. Bowman said that Paul and Gail were pulled out of their bedroom into a hallway by a person who was looking for survivors after the tornado. She responded to their cries for help.
"She said, 'I need help. I see an arm down the hallway," Bowman recalled, which turned out to be Gail's arm.
Battling for life
The couple were rushed to the hospital, and Gail, who sustained a punctured lung, is now on life support. “Their home, vehicles, and everything they’ve worked for is gone. They are two of the best people you could ever find. My aunt’s daughter also has stage 4 cancer, so they were already battling that before this hit. They need all the help and prayers they can get," a GoFundMe page for her treatment reads.
On the other hand, Paul is recovering from his injuries but hasn’t grasped the ordeal due to dementia.
In a social media post, Taylor Baker, their other niece, said: “My uncle Paul is stable but did have to have an arm amputated. My aunt Gail is on life support still and also had an arm taken off. She needs all the prayers she can get.”
She also thanked strangers and friends who helped the couple by dropping food and supplies for them.
Around 19 people were killed in Kentucky after the powerful storm struck on Friday evening, with most of the fatalities reported in Laurel County, according to the Associated Press.
