Archived Outdoors

Young girl dies after tree falls on tent

Written by
Wednesday, July 27, 2022

A 7-year-old Georgia girl is dead after a tree fell on the tent where she was sleeping at Elkmont Campground in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Rangers responded to the emergency call at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 27. The girl was staying with her father and two siblings, who were not injured. The tree was a red maple approximately 2 feet in diameter.

The affected campsite and adjacent campsites are closed, but Elkmont Campground remains open. Gatlinburg Fire Department, Gatlinburg Police Department and the National Park Service responded to the scene.

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