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Storm chaser proposes to girlfriend as giant tornado sweeps by

A storm chaser from Texas combined the two loves of his life in one epic marriage proposal.
/ Source: TODAY

As Alex Bartholomew got down on one knee Tuesday, he had the two loves of his life right in his sights — his girlfriend and a tornado.

Luckily for the 25-year-old storm chaser from Texas, he was the only one who swept Brittany Fox off her feet.

The blustery proposal was captured by friend and fellow storm chaser Jason Cooley, who was along for the ride under the guise of searching for some spectacular weather.

Bartholomew had the ring since March and had been waiting for the right opportunity for a memorable proposal.

"I thought it would be kind of cool to combine the two best things in my life,'' he said. "I really wanted it to go like this. I really wanted to propose in front of a tornado to combine the two loves of my life."

The couple had been dating for a year after meeting at the Home Depot where they work in Temple, about an hour south of Waco.

Bartholomew takes a few weeks off every year for a "chase-cation" in which he and some friends hunt for storms.

Fox, also 25, joined him for a part of this year's trip but had no idea what was coming. They pulled the car over near McLean, Texas, with a funnel cloud in the distance.

"We got out of the car and Jason was with us, and he had his camera out, and I assumed he was just going to take a picture,'' she said. "I look over and (Alex) is on his knees and tears well up in my eyes, and I forget that there was even a tornado there."

Luckily for the people of McLean, no damage was reported by the two tornadoes sighted in the area that day.

Fox had traveled with Bartholomew on a storm-chasing trek last year, but they never encountered one. That didn't discourage her from making a return trip this year.

"I always wanted to be with him so he can share what he loves with me,'' she said.

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