SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS, Calif. (WKRC) — A couple filed a lawsuit after their eight-year-old son was killed by a falling branch at a California summer camp right in front of them.
According to PEOPLE, citing a complaint filed Monday, a couple has filed a lawsuit following the tragic death of their eight-year-old son, Lamar McGlothurn, who was killed by a 100-pound tree branch at a summer camp in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Lamar was attending Camp Wildcraft in July when a branch from a decaying tree fell onto the picnic tables.
In the lawsuit, the family claims negligence against the owners and operators of King Gillette Ranch, where the incident occurred, and alleges that it was “not the first time a big branch fell from that tree.” The family further alleges that the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority, which manages the park, as well as the camp owners, “directed groups of young children to play, paint, and rest directly under the tree,” which “is exactly what Lamar was doing when he was tragically killed,” per the documents.
The complaint further states that the camp was “on notice of the dangerous condition but failed to remedy it before it killed” the child, claiming that “crews at King Gillette Ranch raised concerns about the decaying tree one week before the fatal incident,” then cites emails and texts that were obtained through California public records requests.
The family’s lawyer, Robert Glassman, told CBS Los Angeles that the branch “crushed Lamar to death in front of his mom and dad. They were trying to lift it off of him, but because it was so heavy, they couldn’t, and they just had to sit there helplessly, watching their beautiful boy die.”
The Mountain Recreation & Conservation Authority declined to comment when speaking to PEOPLE, citing an ongoing investigation, but issued the following statement to the publication:
“From day one, the MRCA has been committed to a full, thorough, and transparent inquiry, with a proposed action plan to ensure that a tragedy like this never occurs again. That investigation remains open and ongoing, and the MRCA continues to cooperate fully with all parties involved.”