STANDISH — A 9-year-old girl from Poland was killed Thursday afternoon at a campground after a large tree fell on the car she was sitting in during a severe thunderstorm.
The incident occurred at the Sebago Lake Family Campground, where her family was camping. Authorities have not released the name of the family.
Authorities say they received a call at about 4:25 p.m. that a tree had fallen on a car at the campground and a child was trapped inside. The call came about 10 minutes after a severe storm struck the Standish and Sebago area, knocking down trees and utility wires, which blocked roads and restricted travel.
A statement issued by the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office noted that first responders from Standish were stopped approximately 1/10 of a mile from the entrance to the campground and had to walk the rest of the way, while responders from Sebago had to clear trees and debris in order to reach the site with their vehicles.
According to the statement, “The area around the victim’s campsite sustained heavy damage from multiple trees, including damage to their camper and complete destruction of two vehicles on their campsite. Emergency responders, family members, and campground patrons worked quickly clearing away multiple trees using chain saws, tractors, and a jaws of life tool to extricate the victim. Unfortunately, she was pronounced dead at the scene.”
Authorities said the storm caused damage elsewhere in the campground and homes in the area, with “dozens of trees uprooted and/or broken in half. Some of these trees were 24-30 inches in diameter. Many boats, homes, vehicles, and RV-style campers were damaged, but no other significant injuries were reported.”
In the statement, Cumberland County Sheriff’s Capt. Donald Foss said, “For the family left behind to grieve this unimaginable loss, words cannot describe the devastation of losing a child. The public safety community offers its heart-felt condolences.”
Comments are not available on this story.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
