(CANNELTON) — An 11-year-old Girl Scout was fatally injured when a tree suddenly fell on her and three others as they walked along a gravel road at a southern Indiana campground, authorities said.
It was raining when deputies arrived at Camp Koch about 11:30 a.m. Monday but there had been no severe weather or lightning reported in the vicinity at the time, Perry County Sheriff Alan Malone said. The sheriff wasn’t certain why the about 40-foot-tall (12-meter-tall) tree toppled, but said the ground was saturated from frequent rainfall over the past couple weeks.
Officials said 11-year-old Isabelle Meyer of Jasper was pronounced dead at an Evansville hospital after suffering head and abdominal injuries when she was hit by the tree.
The others injured are Melinda Garman, of Mount Vernon, Judy Kicklighter, of Evansville, and a 10-year-old girl, who suffered a hand injury. They are in serious but stable condition.
“It was a freak accident. I hate it, especially for Isabelle, but I hate it for all Girl Scouts,” Malone said. He said it looked like the tree uprooted.
