Family of boy, 8, killed by falling tree branch at Calabasas park to get $14.6M

The parents of an 8-year-old boy tragically killed by a large tree that fell in a Calabasas park last year are expected to receive more than $14 million as part of a settlement agreement with the agency responsible for managing the park.

On July 9, Lamar McGlothurn, along with several others attending Camp Wildcraft on the grounds of King Gillette Ranch Park, was struck when a 25- to 30-foot branch weighing about 100 pounds snapped from a tree.

McGlothurn was airlifted to a hospital, where he later died from blunt force injuries, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner.

An 11-year-old girl with a broken leg was also airlifted to the hospital. A 5-year-old boy suffered head lacerations, a 22-year-old man sustained head and arm bruises, and a 73-year-old man suffered a concussion.

Text messages sent a day before the tragedy by an employee of a tree care company later surfaced, raising concerns about the condition of the tree.

“It is somewhat concerning seeing all the decay at the trunk. It would be wise to thin the canopy and alleviate end weight at a minimum to mitigate risk,” the employee wrote.

A settlement agreement was signed in March, SFGATE reported.

The child’s parents are expected to receive $14.65 million. The bulk of the settlement will be paid by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, which manages the park, along with smaller amounts from Camp Wildcraft and Gomez Landscape & Tree Care.

Six other people injured in the incident are set to receive a combined $4.65 million from insurers representing the MRCA, Camp Wildcraft and the tree care company.

In a statement to SFGATE, an MRCA spokesperson said the agency hopes the settlement will, in some small way, bring solace to the McGlothurn family.

“We at the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority cannot fathom the immense loss and tremendous pain the family of Lamar McGlothurn has endured from Lamar’s tragic death,” the statement said.