Man trapped by falling tree thanks firefighters who rescued him

ATLANTA — A man recovering after a tree fell on his car received a special visit Tuesday morning.

First responders from Atlanta Fire Department, Company 16, stopped by Wellstar Atlanta Medical Center to check on Michael Upkins.

That crew rescued Upkins and his sister after the tree came crashing down on May 5, trapping them both inside for hours. %

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“They’re proud of what they do. They work together as a team. We're brothers. We're family," said Sgt. Cortez Stafford of the Atlanta Fire Department.

The accident happened on Chappell Road in Northwest Atlanta.

The car was surrounded by live wires, so Georgia Power had to clear the area before firefighters could free the siblings.

"I looked out the window and I saw the wires and that’s when my sister tried to get out and I said, ‘No, don’t open the door,’" Michael Upkins said.

Upkins suffered a broken back bone and whiplash. His sister was uninjured.

Tuesday, Upkins got a chance to say thank you.

“I want to thank y’all because I was scared. I ain't ashamed to say it," said Upkins.

Upkins is expected to make a full recovery.

Cox Media Group