College student sleeping in hammock killed when tree falls on campsite

Apr 09, 2025

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (WBRC/Gray News) - Loved ones are mourning after a University of Alabama student weeks away from graduating was killed by a falling tree while on a camping trip.

Malachi Crain, a senior at the University of Alabama, died early Saturday during a camping trip with friends in the Chattahoochee National Forest near Fannin County, Georgia, WBRC reports.

Friends and Tom Ackerman, a pastor at St. Francis of Assisi University Parish, say the 22-year-old Crain and three of his fellow students, who were all involved with Bama Catholic, were sleeping in separate hammocks when a tree fell on them just after 2 a.m. Crain was killed, and at least one other camper was slightly injured.

Ackerman fought back tears as he remembered Crain, who was majoring in mathematics and computer science. The 22-year-old was just weeks away from graduating.

“What I tell people is the fullness of somebody’s life is not measured by the length of years but the love they lived their life with,” Ackerman said. “By that measure, Malachi lived a full life.”

Ackerman says the incident was not storm-related and that the tree that fell was just old.

At St. Francis, Crain served as an altar server and began showing signs of being a strong leader, according to Ackerman.

“He was our vice president in charge of our liturgy for our student Masses. He helped arrange for different ministers, trained them and stuff like that,” he said. “It was obvious he loved God, loved his fellow students and... great love in his family, as well.”

Crain was a native of Greenville, South Carolina. His funeral will be held there at 1 p.m. Thursday. At St. Francis, friends will say the rosary in his memory.

Copyright 2025 WBRC via Gray Local Media, Inc. All rights reserved.