An off-duty Athens-Clarke County firefighter died after a tree limb fell on him in Jackson County, according to a report.

The Athens-Clarke County Fire and Emergency Services said in a Facebook post that “a tragic accident” Monday led to the death of Matt Hughes.

The agency did not say what kind of accident killed Hughes. But WGAU-AM in Athens reported Hughes was helping a friend trim trees when the limb hit him.

Hughes was taken to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville, where he later died, according to the radio station.

No other details about the accident were released.

“We would like to send our prayers and condolences to Matt's family and friends,” the fire department said in the post.

In other news:

About the Author

Keep Reading

Georgia Power's Plant Bowen in Cartersville is shown. The utility wants to add about 10,000 megawatts of power supplies in just five years, mainly to serve data centers. (Hyosyb Shin/AJC 2015)

Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC

Featured

Yemaya Lyles (right) wipes away tears during a news conference in front of the Rockdale County Public Schools administration building on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2023. Lyles' son, Antonio, was assaulted by a paraprofessional, who has since been fired and charged with battery. Lyles says her case against the school district has dragged on since then. (Miguel Martinez/AJC 2023)

Credit: Miguel Martinez