CAMPING HORROR

Child Dies After Tree Falls on Family’s Tent in Great Smoky Mountains National Park

The 7-year-old girl was killed when a large red maple crashed into her family’s tent around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday.

A 7-year-old girl from Georgia was killed when a large tree fell onto her family’s tent overnight Tuesday, the National Park Service said in a news release. The child was camping with her family in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park when the red maple, which was about two feet in diameter, came crashing down around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. Three other family members survived the crash at Elkmont Campground, one of the most popular campsites in the park. “The other family members, including father and two siblings, were not injured. Emergency responders from Gatlinburg Fire Department, Gatlinburg Police Department, and the National Park Service responded to the site,” according to the release. Although a cause has not been identified, the park has recently closed areas because of flooding from heavy rainfall that has caused dangerous conditions on trails and roads.