Falling tree branch at Boston's Franklin Park Zoo seriously hurts young girl
A young girl was seriously hurt Tuesday afternoon when she was hit by a falling tree branch at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston.
It happened around 12:45 p.m. in the area of the Farmhouse Café at the zoo.
Massachusetts State Police said the child, who was only described as "school-aged," was taken to Boston Children's Hospital by ambulance.
Witness said girl was on field trip
A parent who was at the zoo Tuesday told WBZ-TV that she heard the sound of the branch snapping. When the woman turned around, she said she saw a little girl on the ground. The witness named Nissa also said she saw an adult with a cut and bruise to her forehead.
"They were on a field trip with a school, they were walking by, and the tree just fell right on her head," Nissa said.
State police said the adult who was with the child was taken to an area hospital for treatment, but the extent of their injuries was not immediately known.
Nissa said the rest of the kids who were on the field trip were "screaming and crying."
Police did not release any additional information, but said the incident is still under investigation.
A spokesperson for Franklin Park Zoo said staff members and emergency personnel responded when the branch fell onto the child.
Franklin Park Zoo is operated by Zoo New England on 72 acres of land in Boston's Franklin Park. According to the zoo website, it was founded in 1912 and managed by the City of Boston until 1958 when a different state agency took over until 1991. That's when Commonwealth Zoological Corporation, which eventually changed its name to Zoo New England, took over.
