By BRUCE SCHREINER, Related Press
MAYFIELD, Ky. (AP) — Autumn Kirks mentioned she and her boyfriend, Lannis Ward, had been relationship for a couple of yr and had been saving cash to purchase a home. They had been each working the night time shift on the candle manufacturing facility for extra cash when the twister struck.
Then Ward, described by Kirks as “an enormous teddy bear,” disappeared — and all she may do was wait.
“Not figuring out is worse than figuring out proper now,” she mentioned early Sunday as she stood exterior His Home Ministries, a nondescript prefabricated constructing on the sting of Mayfield the place individuals have been informed to go to attend for phrase concerning the lacking.
Later within the day, she bought the horrible information — that Ward had been killed within the storm.
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Within the aftermath of the large twister that roared via the western Kentucky darkness early Saturday morning, the probabilities for excellent news appear to decrease by the hour.
Autumn Kirks introduced a photograph of her boyfriend to the restoration middle and described his tattoo, scars and different options. She mentioned the authorities requested her to carry again a glass or bathtub sponge or one thing that may have his DNA on it to probably assist determine him.
An uncommon mid-December swarm of twisters throughout the Midwest and the South leveled complete communities and left dozens useless in 5 states. The demise toll is anticipated to go greater in Kentucky.
Within the horrible moments earlier than the storm hit, Kirks had moved to a hallway within the innermost a part of the constructing that housed Mayfield Shopper Merchandise, the place workers had been working the night time shift to crank out Christmas candles.
“They mentioned, ‘Duck and canopy,″ she recalled. “I pulled my security goggles down, jumped below the closest factor, and seconds later I regarded to my left and as a substitute of wall there was sky and lightning and simply destruction in all places.”
The closest factor was a row of steel stands with nets throughout the highest, used to retailer wax and perfume buckets. Kirks mentioned she and another workers moved the buckets and took cowl below the stands. She tried to control Ward, however she is a crew chief and had to verify different co-workers had been secure.
“I bear in mind taking my eyes off of him for a second, after which he was gone,” she mentioned.
An eerie silence preceded the storm, Kirks mentioned, “after which impulsively you hear simply crumbling, and it’s like the entire world is simply falling down round you.”
Kirks mentioned she and three co-workers had been trapped below a concrete wall, however {that a} co-worker lifted the wall to rescue them.
“I nonetheless want I knew who it was that lifted that wall off of us,” she mentioned. “He was our superman that night time.”
One other lady entered the constructing weeping. To assist these struggling to manage, a state trooper got here in with teddy bears. A golden retriever was there to supply pet remedy.
Autumn Kirks introduced a photograph of her boyfriend to the restoration middle and described his tattoo, scars and different options. She mentioned the authorities requested her to carry again a glass or bathtub sponge or one thing that may have his DNA on it to probably assist determine him later.
She was headed house to search for one thing that may work.
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