Girl, 9, killed by falling tree at Hayden Lake

Tragedy struck along the shores of Hayden Lake Tuesday afternoon when a tree fell on a 9-year-old girl, killing her.

The girl was fishing on a dock near the English Point trails while she and her mother were visiting an acquaintance, according to a release from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office. Around 4:15 p.m., a 60-foot tree broke from its trunk. The tree, apparently rotten, struck the girl, according to witnesses interviewed by authorities.

“At the time of the event,” said Lt. Ryan Higgins of KCSO, “the girl’s mother was there, along with a few other people, to witness it.”

Once law enforcement and medical personnel arrived and began working to save her, Life Flight was contacted to transport the girl to the nearest hospital. She was pronounced dead upon arrival at Kootenai Health.

“Obviously, we feel for the family,” Higgins said. “It’s one of those freak accidents that nobody could predict.”

The girl’s name and the precise location of the incident are being withheld at this time while the family grieves.