Talk about an unusual accident, in Two Rivers, WI

[Archae]

A tree fell on 5 kids on a field trip.

Tree Falls, Injures 5 students at Woodland Dunes Nature Center

Five students were hurt when a tree fell on them at Woodland Dunes Nature Center & Preserve in Two Rivers.

The Two Rivers Fire Department tells Action 2 News the students, ages 10 to 12, were on a field trip with Bethany Lutheran School in Manitowoc. They were sitting on a bench when a willow tree fell Wednesday afternoon. The tree was 20 to 30 feet tall.

All five were taken to a hospital in Two Rivers. The principal of Bethany Lutheran says four were released within hours and a fifth is being held for observation.

http://wbay.com/2015/04/01/5-teens-hurt-in-accident-at-woodland-dunes-nature-center/

[Sherman A1]

1. Wow!

that is odd!

[KittyWampus]

2. a local woman here was killed when a tree fell on the side of the road fell on her car.

It is highly unusual.

[Adrahil]

3. Imma bet there is more to the story...

My guess is the tree is leaning due to a previous storm. Kids sit on bunch under leaning tree. The wind, or perhaps kids goofin on the tree, destabilize the tree which then eventually falls on said kids.

[Lars39]

5. Not necessarily. Willow trees aren't known for their stability, iirc.

[Adrahil]

6. They don't fall over for no reason.

There are willows all around here. They don't just randomly fall over. It still takes some force to do it.

[HereSince1628]

7. I've seen an old weeping willow split in moderate wind...

and then there was a precursor moment of cracking/popping sounds prior to the fall.

I've also seen willow on creek banks slowly tip over, held back from gravity by massive tangles with other roots as high water undermined the bank...

I suppose a gang of kids climbing out on a cracked stem could get themselves in trouble, that might not give them a chance to react and get clear. It is a bit hard to imagine someone young and fleet of foot not being able to get clear.

You know how that old folk verse goes...never put your trust in a green willow tree, they bend but then they break.

[Lars39]

10. Willow's root system is pretty shallow, doesn't take much.

[Ellipsis]

9. ... been super windy the last couple days, shit happens

[Orrex]

4. Investigators have determined that its bark was worse than its bite.

What a freaky story. Glad that the kids are more or less ok!

[JHB]

8. If the part with all the branches fell on them...

...it wouldn't be hard to hit 5 people at once, if they were in a group.

[FSogol]

11. A tree or branch falling kills about two campers each year in Shenandoah National Park

People don't really pay attention to the danger. Of course in my suburbs, they overreact to the potential falls and cut down too much.