An elderly couple has died in a mobile home explosion near Kentucky Lake in Houston County.
The incident happened shortly before 11 p.m. Monday at a residence on Refro Road near Stewart.
Family members have identified the victims as Doris and Dot Stephenson - ages 73 and 78, both described as kind and generous.
"Everybody loved him. I loved him, everybody in the neighborhood loved him," said Kenny Barnes, who was close friends with Doris. "He was a good, good person. If you needed money, he'd loan it to you. If you needed anything in any way, he'd help you. He was that kind of person."
Kindness that may explain why Doris ran into his home moments after the explosion in an attempt to save his wife.
"She was screaming, 'Please help me, please get me out," said family friend Meranda Barnes.
Firefighters found Doris and Dot in their kitchen. Doris had his arms wrapped around Dot.
Neither survived.
"He wanted to save the love of his life and he wasn't going to leave without her," said the couple's daughter-in-law Ally Stephenson.
The cause of the explosion is under investigation but several oxygen tanks had been delivered to the home this week. Authorities believe that contributed to the explosion.
Sky 5 flew over the scene and showed the home as a total loss. Tin and debris from the home could be seen scattered all over the property.
