One camper has died, and another was injured after a tree fell on a remote campsite in Georgia in the middle of the night.
The incident took place in the early hours of Saturday morning at Panther Creek Falls, located deep within the Cohutta Wilderness of the Chattahoochee National Forest, according to a report from Fannin County Emergency Management Agency (FCEMA).
"The caller reported that a large tree had fallen directly onto a campsite. Four young men were sleeping in hammocks at the time of the incident. One individual was reportedly trapped beneath the tree and was unresponsive."
Due to the remote nature of the campsite, crews from multiple agencies took approximately five hours to reach the scene, however, a father and daughter who had been camping nearby rushed to the site after hearing cries for help, providing immediate support and remaining with them throughout the incident.
When crews arrived around 7am after hiking through the night, first responders confirmed one fatality and another individual with minor injuries who was reportedly in stable condition.
The FCEMA describes the terrain surrounding Panther Creek Falls as rugged, with steep inclines and dense forest cover and says the campsite was more than four miles from the nearest trailhead, making extraction challenging.
"A ground evacuation would have demanded far more personnel, extended the duration of the operation, and increased the risk to both rescuers and the patient," reports the agency.
However, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources responded by air, and helicopter crews were able to safely extract the patient and the deceased man directly from the scene
"Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of the young men involved in this tragic and unforeseeable accident," concludes the report.
What's your risk of being hit by a falling tree when camping?
Your risk of being hit by a falling tree – also known as a hazard tree – is very low, but as this news reveals, these incidents do occur and can be deadly. Just last month, a hiker died after a tree branch fell on him during a storm in Rhode Island and in September 2023, a Vermont camper was killed by a falling tree while sleeping.
Though your risk of being hit by a falling tree when you're hiking or camping is statistically low, always check the weather forecast and avoid camping in forested areas during or immediately following stormy weather – that includes high winds, heavy rain, snow and ice.
Though hazard trees are often associated with windy weather, there are other reasons why a tree might become structurally unsound, and not all of them are easy to spot with the naked eye.
Diseases and rot can plague trees that appear healthy on the outside – a rotting base was responsible for a tree that killed a German hiker on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2019. A dead tree often falls onto another tree which can compromise the roots of that healthy tree, while heavy rains can make the roots of a healthy tree unsound enough to fell it.
If you're camping in a tent, you can keep yourself safer by avoiding areas with trees, but if you're hanging a hammock, use the following guidance:
- Look up. Are there any dead branches, overhanging trees or anything else that can fall on you? If so, find another spot.
- Make a final careful assessment of the two trees you’ve selected. Are they alive? A dead tree, however thick, is a potential faller. Are they strong enough?
- Assess which way the weather is coming from, so you can shelter yourself from the prevailing wind or rain.
Learn more in our article on where not to camp to avoid hazards such as trees, flooding and fire.
