A 5-year-old boy was killed Monday morning when a tree fell on his DeKalb County home, splitting the residence in two, officials said.
His mother was rescued and was not injured, but the boy became trapped after the tree came down in the 3400 block of Glenwood Road, according to a DeKalb County fire spokesperson. Crews arrived shortly after 5 a.m. and found the child dead inside.
“When they arrived they heard a person screaming; they were able to rescue a mother virtually unharmed,” Capt. Jaeson Daniels told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “She complained of no injuries, but the child was deceased.”
He was identified by his family only as “Zach,” according to Channel 2 Action News.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Daniels said the tree fell on the center of the home, making recovery efforts difficult. Crews were called to secure the structure before they could remove the child’s body, and cleanup continued at noon.
“There is so much destruction,” Daniels said. “It really just split the house in half.”
The Atlanta area recorded more than 6 inches of rainfall in December, and another 1.33 inches fell Sunday. Overnight, snow and wintry mix dusted the region and wind gusts of up to 44 mph were recorded, snapping trees and contributing to hundreds of thousands of power outages across the state.
— Please return to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for updates.
About the Author
