Paul Matvey, 33, was sitting upstairs in his Akron home Wednesday, and was killed when a tree on his property fell and crashed through the roof.
It happened around 11 a.m. in the 400 block of Sumner Street when a storm rolled through the city, according to the Akron Fire Department.
The tree also hit another home next door, but no one there was injured.
Neighbors at the home on the other side of the house had no damage. They remembered their neighbor as kind after he helped them feed stray cats on their porch.
"You're at home, you have a storm, all of a sudden the branch falls— you don't even know it. We don't know if he was surviving once the tree actually hit; it's just a tragic event for everybody involved," said Deputy Chief Leon Henderson, Akron Fire Department.
The city called in Barberton Tree Service to remove the tree so his body could be recovered, firefighters said.
"We've been told since the minute we pulled up that the structure is completely compromised, and every cut we make is obviously changing the structure as we go, obviously putting their safety at risk as well," said Barberton Tree President Lisa Devenport.
The job was especially challenging for her crew, she said.
"We've had a similar situation but not one where there was a retrieval, so it's been very difficult. They said they were all up for the challenge that they wanted to help the city and wanted to do what they needed to do to get the person a proper burial," said Devenport.
Henderson said the Akron Fire Department was providing mental health services for the Barberton Tree crew.
"They've already talked to our guys, they've been watching them and coaching them through a lot. That's the biggest deal for these guys. I'll be following up. I always say, I'm a Mom first," Devenport said.
By 5 p.m., the home had been completely torn down after being deemed unsafe. When the home was standing, it had a "UAkronRentals" sign. News 5 called the rental company, which had no comment.
