A man thought to be homeless was killed Thursday night in Ocala when a tree fell on him as winds from Hermine moved across Central Florida.
- Man thought to be homeless killed Thursday in Ocala
- Tree fell on tent the man was sleeping in
- Gov. Rick Scott said no other deaths, major injuries reported
The tree fell on 56-year-old John Mayes, who was staying in a tent in a homeless camp in a wooded area along the 3300 block of southeast Lake Weir Avenue. The man had been living in a hotel prior to living in the camp.
Mayes' nephew said his uncle had just gotten out of jail, and the family had no idea where he was.
According to investigators, a woman was sleeping in a tent next to Mayes' during the storm, when she heard a huge crash. After the storm, she went over to the tent and realized a tree had fallen on it and called 911. First responders pronounced Mayes dead at the scene.
"We have been working with Karen Hill with the Marion County Homeless Society... We have a plan with emergency management to reach out to the homeless areas and give them an option to go to areas that are safer," said Ryan Robbins with the Marion County Sheriff's Office.
Investigators think the man's death is accidental and not suspicious.
Gov. Rick Scott, speaking at a news conference Friday morning, said he was informed of the fatality by Marion Sheriff Emery Gainey. Scott said no other deaths or major injuries have been reported.
Hermine was the first hurricane to make landfall in Florida when it hit the Big Bend area early Friday as a Category 1 storm. Hurricane Wilma was the last hurricane to make Florida landfall, when it hit South Florida in October 2005.