Baby in serious condition after tree topples onto family's tent
A baby is in a serious condition in hospital after a freak camping accident.
The infant and her parents were injured when a tree fell on their tent at the popular Nanga Mills campsite in Lane Poole Reserve, near Dwellingup in WA.
The young family, including the three-month-old baby, were asleep in the early hours of Sunday morning when a pine tree crashed down on to them.
The tree hit the ground so hard it shattered into pieces.
“[We heard] a real loud crack, we actually thought it could have been a gunshot or a gas bottle exploding,” nearby camper Craig Kennewell said.
The tree trunk missed two other nearby tents, but its branches brought down their ropes.
Fellow campers heard the family’s screams and helped to free them.
One branch was so big it had to be cut before it could be moved.
Witnesses say the man’s leg was crushed but he and his wife were discharged from hospital on Monday to be with their baby.
“All three are lucky to get out alive, I think,” Mr Kennewell said.
It’s believed, however, that one of the family’s pet dogs couldn’t be saved.
Other campers said a ranger told them tree falls were a rare occurrence in the area, but they would still be mindful of where they camped in future.
Authorities are still trying to work out what caused the pine tree to topple, but heavy rain and strong winds were recorded the day before.
The baby is in a serious but stable condition at Perth Children’s Hospital.
