CHEROKEE COUNTY, Ga. — A 14-year-old girl rescued after a tree fell on her mobile home says she is thankful to be alive.
We brought you live coverage during Channel 2 Action News Saturday AM as crews rescued the teenager from her damaged home.
Karina Melendrez was released from the hospital around 5 p.m. Saturday.
The 14-year-old was pinned for an hour and a half on the floor of her bedroom here inside this trailer. She said it's hard to believe she didn't suffer a single broken bone.
"I just want to say thank you and I appreciate everything they did, that they got me out safe," Melendrez said.
The terrifying ordeal began Saturday morning when a tree fell on her mobile home where she, her two younger brothers and a 2-year-old cousin were sleeping.
"I heard the storm and kind of looked up and I thought it was just raining and I was going to lay my head back down when the tree fell on me," Melendrez said.
She said the tree landed on her legs. She couldn't move and thought she would probably die.
"You could only see this part up and the rest was under the tree," Melendrez said.
Her younger brothers were able to get out and ran for help. Within minutes, rescue crews arrived and were quickly able to get to the 2-year-old, but Melendrez was a different story.
"Very delicate situation where we had to keep the tree stable at all times so it didn't continue to fall on this young lady," said Cherokee County Fire official Tim Cavender.
Channel 2 Action News was there as firefighters cut away some of the branches, then used metal cribbing to hoist the tree.
Emotional family members feared the worst, but finally crews were able to lift the tree to free Melendrez and take her to a waiting ambulance.
"I was happy and everybody clapped and they told me I was strong and brave," Melendrez said.
It was a great ending made even better, Melendrez said, when doctors told her she suffered only bruises and will make a full recovery.
"I was just glad that nothing happened to me and i was still going to be able to walk," Melendrez said
WSBTV
