7-year-old killed when tree crashes onto family’s tent in Great Smoky Mountains

A 7-year-old Georgia girl was killed when a large tree crashed onto a family’s campsite in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, according to the National Park Service.

Three other members of the family survived the ordeal, the park said in a news release.

It happened around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 27, at Elkmont Campground, a popular 200-site camping area about eight miles from Gatlinburg, Tennessee.

Investigators say the girl died when a large red maple — “approximately two feet in diameter” — fell on the family’s tent.

“The other family members, including father and two siblings, were not injured,” the park reported. “Emergency responders from Gatlinburg Fire Department, Gatlinburg Police Department, and the National Park Service responded to the site.”

Investigators have not said what caused the tree to fall, but the national park has put closures in place in recent weeks due to heavy rain that caused flooding and unstable trail and road conditions.

Elkmont Campground is among the most heavily used sites in the national park “due to its central location and variety of amenities” and its proximity to Little River and Jakes Creek (both run through the campground), park officials say.

This story was originally published July 27, 2022 at 12:12 PM with the headline "7-year-old killed when tree crashes onto family’s tent in Great Smoky Mountains."