Nationwide — Lamar Matthew McGlothurn, an 8-year-old boy from California who was attending a summer camp in the Santa Monica Mountains, died when a rotting tree branch suddenly fell on him. His family has filed a legal claim accusing the camp’s owners of failing to keep the grounds safe.
Lamar had been sitting at a picnic table at Camp Wildcraft on July 9 when a heavy branch from a decaying tree dropped onto him.
“This tree branch crushed Lamar to death in front of his mom and dad,” the family’s attorney, Robert Glassman, told WLBT. “They were trying to lift it off of him, but because it was so heavy, they couldn’t, and they just had to sit there helplessly and watch their beautiful boy die in front of them.”
Glassman said the ranch was responsible for checking the property for hazards, especially with children in the area. He added, “This wasn’t some unforeseeable act of nature, it wasn’t an act of God. This was a preventable tragedy.”
Records show that a week earlier, on July 2, a large limb from the same tree had already snapped. Staff contacted a tree service to look into the problem. A Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority official also noted the cracked limb at the time and said they were thankful no one had been hurt.
Later that same day, a Gomez Landscape and Tree Care worker reported decay at the tree’s trunk and suggested thinning the canopy to reduce the danger. Despite these warnings, the tree remained untreated until the branch that killed Lamar fell six days later.
Lamar’s family is now seeking accountability and urging parks and camps to take safety issues more seriously. Their attorney said they hope no other family experiences a similar tragedy.