Child Critically Injured By Falling Tree In Zip Line Accident In Easton
EASTON (CBS) - A 10-year-old boy is in critical condition after zip line accident sent a tree toppling over on top of him.
According to the District Attorney's Office, the boy was attempting to ride a zip line attached to two trees outside a home on Shagbark Road in Easton on Thursday morning.
One of those trees gave out. The boy, who is not being identified, attempted to jump off the collapsing zip line and run to safety, but the pine tree landed on him.
He was rushed to Good Samaritan's Hospital in Brockton before being moved to Children's Hospital in Boston.
The District Attorney's office says the incident is currently being treated as a tragic accident.
Walt Tyldesley was visiting family next door when he and his wife heard screams of "Oh my God" coming from the neighbor's back yard.
"My wife called me to the back and said a tree fell on a boy out there," Tyldesley explained. He says the young boy was "motionless on the ground" but did appear to be breathing. "I held his hand, told him to squeeze it, see if I could get him to respond," Tyldesley says.
Family member Dick Connolly says he sold the house to his daughter earlier this year. "My daughter and her husband and the five kids live here now," he explained, adding that the injured child was not one of the children who live there, but is related to them.
"It's a tough day for everybody," Connolly told reporters. "So if you could just let them go and pray … pray that he'll be all right."
WBZ-TV's Jim Armstrong contributed to this report.
