Tree branch falls on, kills boy at Lake Compounce

In another thread (since closed) it was stated: "I cant see how a "branch" could seriously injure someone unless it was really big."

Not to argue semantics, but a 5" diameter "branch" counts as a "limb" in my book...

While working on a project around the house a few months back, a 2x4 piece of lumber fell from where I had (stupidly) placed it and hit me square on the top of the head. It knocked me silly for a few moments (and hurt like hell too).

Considering that I am a grown adult, the lumber was only a 2x4 and it fell from only a few feet, I can see how a 5" diameter tree limb falling from 50 feet could kill a 5 year old and seriously injure an adult. Limbs are heavy when you come right down to it (though we never think of them as such), and when falling 50 feet they have gravity working with them too.

Not to mention, maybe it fell pointy-end first.

Well, I guess now we'll have senators trying to pass bills to make miniature golf safer.

This is simply a case of "wrong place, wrong time".

If it would have happened in someone's back yard at a cook out, it would still have made the local news (which is basically what the article is from) but no one would be paying attention to it here. If it would have happened at a minature golf course (not assocaited with a park), likewise it would not be noticed here.

There will be some who will say "but the park should have known that the limb was weak." Not so sure about that. They walk the tracks of the coasters every day, but can they really go around and check every tree limb on the property? No, I don't think so.

Sad story, yes. But I don't think I am going to jump onto the "Lake Compounce is a dangerous park" line just yet.

This park is cursed. So many people have died here. This is truely tragic.

I wouldn't say its cursed. This is most definitely a tragedy, but nothing short of the removal of all the park's trees could have prevented this from happening. As SLFAKE said, a horrible case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Just curious... I have read alot of the "curse" of Lake Compounce (at least the high accident / injury / death counts). What exactly were the incidents?

I can think of two with out doing any research...

The worker killed at Boulderdash (trimming grass I think and hit by a train) and now this 5 year old killed by a falling tree limb. What others?

A lot of the accidents were mostly drowning in the lake and water park area. You can take this link and read about the accidents here.

http://members.aol.com/rides911/2001.htm#jun19

My prayers & thoughts are with the family.

And people were wondering why Knott's was removing a good number of trees that were close or hanging over the midway - and doing major trimming to others awhile back.

Freakish... what a shame. I'd hate to see it happen anywhere, but of all parks.

I heard something on the radio about some accident out west where some steel beam fell on a car and killed an entire family. Just another one of those reminders to live life to the fullest, because you just never know.

Its sad and ironic at the same time... there's probably a better chance of you winning one of those mega lotteries than there is of being under a tree branch when it happens to fall.

Might be in a little poor taste, and my condolences to the victim and his family, but where are all those Connecticut Safety Department types saying how it can's happen in the Nutmeg State. Some things really are accidents.

You never really think about that... how unlikely it is to be under a tree when a branch falls from it (in the absence of a storm that is).

On a simliar note... while going home from work a few weeks ago, I was driving down a road that had a split rail fence beside it. Some distance ahead of me, I saw one of the rails of the fence just drop... fell right to the ground. Now I often have seen fences that had rails laying down, but I never saw one just fall with out any obvious reason (being pushed, etc). For what ever reason, this really "amazed me". Being under a tree when a branch just "drops off" is like that too. Happens everyday, but how often does someone actually see it, let alone be standing under it?

When you think about how long that branch has been there... in just 10 years, 315.4 MILLION seconds pass. The odds of standing in that spot during the single second that branch falls are pretty wild.

Its all fun an games till someone gets bush wacked. I wouldn't be surprised if we see a lot of tree trimming at parks now. I'm suprised this hasn't gotten as much attention as other stuff thats happen at parks.

We got really worried when we saw all the emergency vehicles rushing into the park. When we saw the Lifestar helicopter coming down in the parking lot, we knew it couldn't be good.

It's just a real shame, for both the family and the park.

Didn't something like this happen at a Disney park a few years back, prompting them to do some tree-trimming?

That's what I said too, Rob. No one else I was with yesterday remembered that though. However, I definitely remember a similar incident happening at Disney.

I can't remember where (or when) it was, but it definitely happened, and it was definitely at a Disney park. I think they removed those trees in a knee-jerk reaction, if I remember correctly.