WEBVTT I WILL TALK ABOUT IT LATER ON. CAROL: TONIGHT, OUR NEWS FAMILY GRIEVES OVER THE LOSS. OF TWO SPECIAL JOURNALISTS AND TWO SPECIAL FRIENDS. MICHAEL: A FALLEN TREE, A TRAGEDY, FELT BY THOSE THEY MET, AND EVEN THOSE THEY DIDN’T. OUR JOE RIPLEY, TONIGHT, TAKES A LOOK AT. THE LIVES, SERVICE, AND DEDICATION OF. MIKE MCCORMICK AND AARON SMELTZER. ACCORDING TO THE WEATHER, STICK AROUND, WE WILL TELL YOU TONIGHT AT 6:00. MIKE MCCORMICK, WYFF NEWS 4. JOE: TRAGEDY HIT HARD ON MEMORIAL DAY. >> WE WERE DISPATCHED FOR A TREE DOWN ON A VEHICLE WITH PEOPLE TRAPPED ON HWY 176 >> TRAGEDY HIT A LITTLE HARDER WHEN IT HIT CLOSE TO HOME. >> IT PROBABLY FELL 30 FEE >> WYFF ANCHOR AND REPORTER MIKE MCCORMICK AND PHOTOJOURNALIST AARON SMELTZER WERE DRIVING ON U.S. HIGHWAY 176 IN POLK COUNTY IN THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS RAIN FALLING SOAKING THE GROUND AND UPROOTING A TREE WHEN THEY FELL VICTIM TO A FREAK ACCIDENT. >> IT IS A FREAK OF NATURE IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU KNOW ITS GONNA HAPPEN OR YOU CAN PREDICT THAT IT MAY HAPPEN BUT YOU DON’T KNOW WHEN. >> IN THE 44 YEARS OF TRYON FIRE CHIEF GEOFFREY TENNANT’S CAREER HE’S NEVER SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS BEFORE. >> IT PERSONALLY AFFECTED ME A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I HAD DONE AN INTERVIEW WITH MR. MCCORMICK ABOUT 10 MINUTE BEFORE WE GOT THE CALL. AND WE HAD TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW HE WANTED US TO STAY SAFE AND I WANTED HIM TO STAY SAFE AND OF COURSE 10 OR 15 MINUTES LATER WE GOT THE CALL AND IT WAS HIM AND HIS PHOTOGRAPHER >> MIKE SPENT 11 YEARS AT WYFF, HIS FIRST STORY AND HIS LAST, IN POLK COUNTY. AARON JOINED WYFF IN FEBRUARY, AND COVERED THE UPSTATE FOR 7 YEARS. >> IT COULD HAVE HAPPENED TO ANY OF US. HE LOST HIS LIFE DOING WHAT HE LOVED. >> FORMER COWORKER COREY DAVIS NOW WORKS IN MIKE’S HOME STATE OF FLORIDA. >> FORGET THE AWARDS, FORGET THE RECOGNITION. TO HIM, IT WASN’T ABOUT THAT. FOR HIM, IT WAS ABOUT BEING A JOURNALIST WHO CAME OUT THERE AND DID THEIR JOB. >> IT’S THE FIRST TIME I EVER MET EITHER ONE OF THOSE TWO GENTLEMAN, BUT YOU FEEL A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO THEM. >> THEIR WORK SPOKE VOLUMES THEIR LIVES AND SERVICE TOUCHED MANY AND THEIR LEGACIES LIVE ON. SPARTANBURG COUNTY DEPUTIES TELL US THAT POST ON SNAPCHAT REFERENCED MIKE MCCORMICK. >> IN SPITE OF TRAGEDY HITTING HARD ON MEMORIAL DAY CAROL: WE ARE HEARING CONDOLENCES FOR MIKE AND AARON FROM ACROSS THE STATE, AND BEYOND. MICHAEL: GOVERNOR HENRY MCMASTER CALLED US THIS AFTERNOON. AND HE ALSO TWEATED ABOUT THE LOSS. QUOTE I JUST SPOKE TO OUR FRIENDS AT WYFF TO OFFER MY CONDOLENCES ON BEHALF OF ALL SOUTH CAROLINIANS FOR THE TRAGIC LOSS OF THESE TWO YOUNG MEN. >> IT IS WITH HEAVY HEARTS THAT PEGGY AND I LIFT UP OUR PRAYERS TONIGHT. AND SUCH AN OUTPOURING FROM SO MANY OF YOU, OUR VIEWERS. VIEWER PATRICK WOLF WROTE IN AN E-MAIL. MY WIFE AND I CANNOT EXPRESS ENOUGH OF OUR SYMPATHY FOR MIKE AND AARON. THEY ARE A PART OF OUR FAMILY EVERY DAY. IT WAS SUCH A SHOCK TO HEAR OF THIS SAD NEWS. WE PRAY FOR YOUR STAFF AND THEIR FAMILIES. GOD BLESS YOU. MICHAEL: GREENVILLE POLICE CHIEF KEN MILLER SAID. I AM TERRIBLY SORRY ABOUT THE TRAGIC DEATHS OF YOUR COLLEAGUES, MIKE AND AARON. ON BEHALF OF THE GREENVILLE POLICE DEPARTMENT, I WANTED TO SHARE OUR DEEPEST SYMPATHIES AND OFFER SUPPORT ON THIS DIFFICULT DAY AND TIME FOR ALL OF YOU. ALL MY BEST, KEN MILLER. CAROL: AND CHEROKEE COUNTY CORONER DENNIS FOWLER SAID. TO ALL OF YOU AT WYFF. MY HEART IS SADDENED TO LEARN OF THE PASSING OF MIKE AND AARON. I ALWAYS ENJOYED HAVING THEM IN MY OFFICE OR SPEAKING WITH THEM AT SCENES. BOTH WERE TRUE PROFESSIONALS AND I WILL MISS THEM. MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU DURING THIS MOST DIFFICULT TIME MICHAEL: AND VIEWER JOE HINDMAN SAID IN PART, MY WIFE AND I WERE SADDENED TO HEAR OF THE TRAGIC DEATHS OF MIKE AND AARON. MIKE’S PLEASANT PERSONALITY WAS ALWAYS EVIDENT IN HIS REPORTS AND NEWS BROADCASTS. WE ARE SURE THAT AARON’S PROFESSIONALISM CONTRIBUTED MUCH AS