BENNINGTON, IN (WCMH) — An 11-year-old girl from Bexley, Ohio has died after a tree fell on her while at a summer camp in Indiana.
Camp Livingston in Bennington issued a statement on its Facebook page saying the girl was injured around 3 a.m. this morning when lightning struck the tree. The tree then fell on a cabin at the camp, severely injuring the girl.
Camp officials say the girl died a short time later from her injuries. No one else got hurt.
The Switzerland County Indiana Sheriff’s Office confirmed to NBC4’s Dan Pearlman that the girl was from the Columbus area. Pearlman later confirmed the girl was a student at Cassingham Elementary School.
The camp, which is about an hour southwest of Cincinnati, issued the following statement:
As we share this sad news with you, all of the campers and staff are being notified of this occurrence. A team of grief counselors from the Cincinnati community will be arriving to camp shortly and will be joining our team in assisting campers and staff.
We understand that you may want to get in touch with your child to see how he/she is coping and we are committed to doing our utmost to facilitate requests. Every child in camp will be calling home today beginning around 10 a.m. – we appreciate your help, patience and understanding as we assist the children through this tragedy. Should you need to reach us directly, you can reach Aaron Slovin, Executive Director, at aaron@camplivingston.com.
Please join us with thoughts and prayers for the family and the entire Camp Livingston family as we work through this difficult time. More information will be shared over the next few days as it becomes available.
This is believed to be the first death at the camp since an Amberley Village, Ohio boy died at the camp in 1992. Craig Brill, 15, was killed when a fire broke out at his cabin. Eight other campers made it out safely.
Camp Livingston is a summer retreat for Jewish children. According to its website, the camp has been in operation for more than 90 years.