Man Dies Saving Family After Tree Hits Camper On Father' Day
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minnesota dad made the ultimate sacrifice on Father's Day shielding his children from danger.
Jimmy Pluff was with family and friends in Birchwood, Wisconsin when a tree toppled his camper. The 55 year old died instantly, but family and friends call his final minutes heroic.
Family friend Tom Crichton cannot shake the image.
"The tree was pointed straight back towards the camper, and when I got up there and looked at it I knew that Jimmy was gone," Crichton said.
He said it had been a perfect evening filled with a campfire, s'mores and family fun. A storm blew in overnight. Most were in cabins, but Jimmy, his fiancée and two daughters were in a camper. In the midst of rain and lightning was the trauma of losing Jimmy.
"You're stunned at that time, but on the flip side I also heard two babies crying," Crichton said.
Family and friends got to work with a chainsaw, cutting sections of the tree to get to them.
"He cut that last section and … it came up and I was so relieved," Crichton said. "Once that was off, it was get the knife, cut the canvas, ripped it open, there was a baby."
They rescued the Jimmy's 1- and 2-year-old daughters, and later their mom. Because they were in a rural area, they were the first responders.
"Their family … should be proud of their actions that they did," Crichton said.
But it is Jimmy that his loved ones call their hero.
"I really seriously think he took the blow of that tree to save his family," Crichton said. "You always try to find the good out of the bad, and this is my good, and this is what I'm taking out of it, that on Father's Day he saved his kids."
Jimmy Pluff was a man dedicated to his family, a father of seven and a grandfather. His funeral is on Saturday in St. Paul. Click here to make a donation to help his family.