Massive tree branch falls on 3 children at Massachusetts playground, trapping young girl
NORWOOD - It was a scare for some children at a town camp in Norwood as a tree branch that weighs thousands of pounds fell on some of them, and trapped one young girl. "I heard a really loud snap, then a really loud thud," said neighbor Elayna VanHoesen.
Child trapped by falling tree
Neighbors then heard the screams from Father Mac's Playground and went running, including Elayna's mother Suzanne VanHoesen who is fortunately a trained nurse.
"I asked the counselors and they said 'her foot is trapped, her foot is trapped'," said VanHoesen who tried to comfort the frightened second grade girl. "She asked me if she was going to walk again. I said it's a good sign you're wiggling your toes and you can feel me touching you. I think you'll be OK."
First responders rushed in with specialized equipment to lift the branch and put the girl in an ambulance along with three other children who were scratched as the branch fell.
"They came in with bags and lifted it right up," said neighbor Jim Wenstrom. It was immediate and pretty quick, it was amazing. I didn't know what to expect, it scared the heck out of me."
The Norwood police chief says it's fortunate no one was seriously injured. "The branch is very heavy and if it landed on somebody it would have been worse," said Chief Chris Padden.
For hours DPW crews worked at trimming the tree, hauling away chunks and removing it down to its stump.
Neighbors say they've long worried about the age of some of the trees in the park. Now they're focused on the campers who were impacted. "She was scared but so stoic, really stoic," said Suzanne VanHoesen. "Somebody was watching over her and she's very lucky."
Norwood summer campers hospitalized
Padden said if not for a summer camp field trip that was taking place on Thursday, there would have been even more children in the area.
Three children were taken to the hospital with minor injuries. The Norwood town manager said the worst injury appeared to be an ankle injury.
Neighbors said it was windy and raining at the time, but it's not clear if that played a factor in the branch falling.