Brimfield Campground Owner: Victim Refused To Leave Camper

BRIMFIELD (CBS) - One of victims of Wednesday's deadly tornadoes was a summer resident at the Village Green Family Campground.

Virginia "Ginger" Darlow was in her camper when the twister touched down. Village Green Family Campground owner Lester Twarowski said she was a friend.

"The tornado hit the trailer, picked it up 30 feet, flipped it upside down in the air, and it came down on the roof," said Twaroski. "And when it came down on the roof, she was laying [sic] on ceiling, and the refrigerator popped out of the spot that it's in normally and landed on her."

WBZ-TV's Jim Armstrong reports

A male who was with her has been hospitalized with serious injuries.

The couple apparently refused advice to take shelter in the campground's only basement.

Those who did so, survived.

Mark and Robin Grant met at this campground. They got married by the lake. On Wednesday, as they cowered together, they thought they might die here.

"It truly sounded like a train going over and just a big explosion," said Robin.

"I've been in Vietnam," said Mark. "I'm 60 years old and I've never heard nothing like that in my life."

Trees, campers and cars were all thrown around, leaving the campground in ruins.

But it could have been even worse. The camp ground has 97 summer residents. Only about a dozen people were on the grounds when the tornado hit.

And had it happened a week earlier, on Memorial Day weekend, about 600 people would have been there, which could have been catastrophic.