A family is suing a California summer park after an 8-year-old died from a falling tree branch. His parents were picking him up when the limb broke and crashed down on top of the young boy.
Tragically, 8-year-old Lamar McGlothurn was crushed to death. A "massive tree branch snapped off an old and decaying oak tree" at Camp Wildcraft at King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas. The incident happened back in July, injuring four others.
Now, according to a complaint, his parents are suing. The family alleges that it's not the first time a large branch broke off of the tree. They accuse both camp owners and the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority of neglect. They allege that management "directed groups of young children to play, paint and rest directly under the tree.
"That is exactly what Lamar was doing when he was tragically killed by the falling branch," the lawsuit read.
Tree Branch Falls On And Kills Young Boy
"From day one, the MRCA has been committed to a full, thorough, and transparent inquiry, with a proposed action plan to ensure that a tragedy like this never occurs again," their statement read. "That investigation remains open and ongoing, and the MRCA continues to cooperate fully with all parties involved."
However, the family accuses both of being aware of issues with the tree and other trees at the summer camp.
"Indeed, crews at King Gillette Ranch raised concerns about the decaying tree one week before the fatal incident," the complaint alleged.
Alleged messages from staff show that a separate branch had snapped off just days prior.
"This tree branch crushed Lamar to death in front of his mom and dad," Robert Glassman, the family's lawyer, told CBS Los Angeles. "They were trying to lift it off of him, but because it was so heavy, they couldn't, and they just had to sit there helplessly, watch[ing] their beautiful boy die."
"This wasn't some unforeseeable act of nature, it wasn't an act of God. This was a preventable tragedy," he also said.
