HAYDEN LAKE, Idaho — A 9-year-old girl died from her injuries on Wednesday when a tree fell on her at Hayden Lake.
The Kootenai County Sheriff's Office and Northern Lakes Fire Department responded to a trauma report at about 4:15 p.m. near the English Point Trailhead on private property. Authorities on scene learned that the girl was fishing from a dock when a 60-foot tree fell and struck her.
Medical personnel and law enforcement began treating the child's injuries before she was taken to Kootenai Health via Life Flight. The child later died as a result of her injuries, according to the sheriff's office.
The sheriff's office said the tree that fell on the child was rotten. Deputies say there is nothing suspicious about the incident at this time.
While the tree that fell was on private property, U.S. Forest Service Public Affairs Officer Patrick Lair said dead trees can be found in this general area but in no greater numbers than you would expect in other places.He said dead trees can occur as a normal part of a forest ecosystem.
The forest service monitors and assesses trees that have potential to fall along highways and within developed recreation sites, like campgrounds and trailheads, Lair said. The forest service removes hazard trees from recreation sites every spring before opening them to the public.
Lair said they recently completed a large fuels reduction project on National Forest System lands surrounding the English Point area and they have plans to start another fuels reduction project in the and around English Point itself.
