Falling tree at a Michigan nature center fatally injures a boy who was on a field trip

HOWELL, Mich. (AP) — A 12-year-old boy died after he was struck by a tree that fell at a southeastern Michigan nature center where he and classmates were on a field trip, authorities said.

The boy was at the Howell Nature Center when the tree fell and struck him in the head Thursday afternoon, the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office said. The boy was airlifted to a hospital, where he later died.

Sheriff Michael Murphy said the boy was a student at Our Lady of Victory Catholic School in Northville and he was taking part in an overnight camping field trip at the nature center, located about 55 miles (89 kilometers) northwest of Detroit.

Murphy said chaperones were teaching the students how to make a fire when they heard a loud cracking, prompting members of the group to take off running before the 20-foot (6.1-meter) tall tree with a rotted trunk fell onto the boy, hitting him on the head.

“I have no words other than it’s a tragic accident that just makes absolutely no sense,” Murphy told WXYZ-TV.

Howell Nature Center CEO Tina Bruce said the center was “gathering all the facts and working closely with the authorities and our staff to understand what happened today.” She said the nature center would be closed Friday so “staff can come together and process today’s events.”

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the child and their family during this difficult time,” Bruce added in a statement.