Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


A child was fatally injured after a large tree fell on him Thursday afternoon at the Howell Nature Center.

Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy confirms the boy later died at Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor.

The Sheriff’s Office was dispatched around 3:30pm to the Howell Nature Center for a tree that had fallen on a 12-year-old boy. The boy was visiting the Nature Center with a group from Our Lady of Victory Catholic Parish out of Northville, MI.

While the instructor was speaking with the children a tree broke and landed on the boy.

Deputies were assisted on scene by the Howell Fire Department, Livingston County EMS, and Michigan State Police.

The Nature Center is located off of Triangle Lake Road in Marion Township.

Chief Executive Officer Tina Bruce told WHMI:

“Our hearts break and we are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred here at Howell Nature Center. Our thoughts and prayers are with the child and their family during this difficult time. At this moment, we are gathering all the facts and working closely with the authorities and our staff to understand what happened today. We will provide more information as soon as it becomes available. Thank you for your understanding and patience.”