City Looking Into Why Tree Fell At High Park Playground
Posted July 30, 2008 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A day after surviving an unpredictable brush with death after a giant oak tree fell on top of her and her grandchildren at a High Park playground, Anna Chirlitti feels blessed to be alive. She did suffer a broken arm in the incident, but considering the sheer weight of the plunging tree, she realizes that not only her, but several children playing in the area at the time could have been killed.
“They got really, really lucky like angels were looking after us,” she told CityNews a day after the terrifying ordeal.
Officials in High Park are trying to figure out why the 60-foot Oak tree suddenly collapsed and fell onto a castle structure at a playground around 3:40pm Tuesday.
“All of a sudden the tree fell on top of the castle, and on top of me and sent me to the floor,” Chirlitti recalled.
“I have bruises all over my back. I have bruises on my hip and my leg and my arm, my whole arm and my shoulder.”
“I just got up, because I wanted to go see the kids. I thought they were dead.and then I saw them come out an they were okay.”
A 10-year-old boy was also injured, but not seriously. He was treated at hospital and released.
Residents in the area say that on weekends the playground is packed. There were up to a dozen children playing at the time the tree fell, but if it had happened during a peak time, more severe injuries likely would have occured.
“A lot of kids play here, if it had to be a Saturday or Sunday it could have been a heck of a lot worse,” said James Graham.
Forestry officials are now assessing the damage. They say the trees in High Park are inspected regularly.
“The crown of the tree was in healthy condition,” notes the City’s Kevin Bowser. “There were no external markings on it. There are some theories that perhaps with the number of storms that have been happening lately that it might have put some stress on the tree, but there was no evidence that it was going to be falling.”
To find out who to call to have a city-owned tree you consider unsafe removed or inspected, click here.
