An Alabama college student is being mourned after he died in an out-of-state camping incident last week.
The deceased University of Alabama student was identified as 22-year-old Malachi Crain, a senior computer science and math major from South Carolina, according to Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Crain’s death was announced on Facebook by the Bama Catholic Ministry. The social media post said Crain, a member of the campus ministry, died “in a camping accident” on April 5.
“He was the Vice President of Liturgy for 2024 and was known for his love of altar serving,” the statement said. “He led a bible study and was discipling other men in our community for over two years. He will be dearly missed by many.”
Malachi Crain, another man was pinned under tree for hours
The Fannin County Emergency Management Agency confirmed with USA TODAY on Friday that Crain was on a trip when a tree fell on a remote camping site in Georgia. Four men, including Crain, were sleeping in hammocks during the incident.
According to the agency, crews responded to an emergency call at Panther Creek Falls in the Chattahoochee National Forest, described as a “difficult-to-access location,” around 2 a.m. It was reported that one man was unresponsive and pinned under a tree.
Multiple other agencies responded to the scene, but reaching the area took about five hours.
“The terrain surrounding Panther Creek Falls is rugged, marked by steep inclines, dense forest cover, and extremely limited access,” officials said in a news release. “The campsite was located approximately 4.2 miles from the nearest trailhead, requiring SAR teams to hike over 8.4 miles round-trip through difficult terrain, much of it in the dark.”
‘We know he has entered the next life’
According to the Fannin County Emergency Management Agency, the group was helped by good Samaritans who were camping nearby. When the rescue crew arrived, they found one man deceased and another injured.
Officials airlifted the victims to a landing zone where a coroner’s unit and an advanced life support ambulance were on the scene, the officials stated. Once in stable condition, the injured victim was then taken to a hospital.
The agency posted videos of the emergency helicopter extraction, crediting it as a “crucial component” in the rescue.
“Without air support, a ground evacuation would have demanded far more personnel, extended the duration of the operation, and increased the risk to both rescuers and the patient,” the agency said.
A prayer, mass and funeral service for Crain was held this week in Alabama and South Carolina.
“Although he has departed this life, we know he has entered the next life and is fully alive to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,” Crain’s obituary reads. “Though we grieve now, we eagerly await our full reunion with him when God will bring together all his children in the glorious New Heavens and New Earth.”
Contributing: Jasmine Hollie, Tuscaloosa News, USA TODAY Network
