A large tree branch fell and seriously injured a 36-year-old San Francisco woman on Friday in Washington Square Park. The woman was in the North Beach park at the time with her two children, ages 5 and 6, as KRON 4 reports, and she suffered life-threatening injuries after the branch struck her in the head.
The incident happened shortly before 3:15 p.m. according to the Chronicle, and paramedics from the SFFD then arrived on the scene. According to SFFD spokesperson Lt. Jonathan Baxter, the children were then reunited with their father.
According to KRON 4 it was breezy Friday afternoon, and the city is sending an arborist to check on the condition of the trees in the park.
ABC 7 reminds us that back in 2008, a woman was killed by a fallen tree branch in Stern Grove.
Update: Saturday afternoon, Mayor Ed Lee released a statement acknowledging the incident:
Today my thoughts are with the family of the young mother who was injured yesterday in Washington Square Park.
The Recreation and Park Department, along with other City agencies, are continuing to investigate the incident. Tree work is conducted regularly at Washington Square Park, and City tree crews will go to the park this week to review all trees.
We thank those who quickly responded and assisted the woman and her children during the accident. We are praying for the recovery of this young woman.
