Woman Killed After Tree Falls On House In Delaware County

A woman was killed and her husband rescued after a tree fell on their house in Delaware County Friday morning, authorities said. The couple was in bed when a tree fell on their bedroom; they may have been trapped for up to two hours before rescuers arrived, according to police.

The incident was reported on James Road in the Broomall section of Marple Township.

According to Marple Township Police, a neighbor called at 8:19 a.m. after hearing cries for help. The first officer arrived within one minute of that call and discovered a tree fell on the back of the house. The residents were trapped in a second-floor bedroom, police said.

The Broomall Fire Company was dispatched and, with the help of MG Tree Service, a portion of the tree was removed so rescuers could get to the victims.

A man was rescued shortly after 9:30 a.m. A woman was found deceased under a “large amount of debris,” police said. “They may have been trapped for up to two hours before authorities arrived,” Marple Township Police said in a statement.

6ABC has identified the couple as Alan Cooper, 79, and Marjay Cooper, 77.

Officials have not said what caused the tree to come down, but there was an overnight snow storm that dropped slight accumulation on the region.