Tree falls on high school reunion party, pinning 8 people in Philadelphia, cops say

A tree came crashing down on a high school reunion party in Pennsylvania, pinning eight people beneath a mess of branches and bark, witnesses told news outlets.

There was a cracking sound like thunder, then dust, Florence Haigans, a 1972 West Philadelphia High School alum, told TV station WPVI.

Attendees rushed over, trying to lift the immense weight crushing their former classmates, while others dialed 911, Haigans told the outlet.

“All of a sudden, we heard this ‘crack, crack, crack,’ a sound I never heard before,” witness Charles Miller told KYW. “And we thought a couple branches (were) falling, but it was the whole tree.”

Firefighters arrived within minutes of the first call, around 12:20 p.m. on Sunday, July 7, the outlet reported.

Given the size of the tree, its branches and debris, it was difficult to even see, witnesses told the station.

Firefighters went to work clearing the branches and soon hoisted the tree off of the ground, according to the TV station. At least one person was trapped directly under the trunk.

The victims were between 66 and 67 years old, officials told WTXF.

All eight were taken to a hospital for treatment, WPVI reported. Five were released, but the rest remained hospitalized as of July 8.

“We just hope that our alumni brothers and sisters have a safe and full recovery,” attendee Michael Brown told the outlet.

This story was originally published August 8, 2022 at 1:02 PM with the headline "Tree falls on high school reunion party, pinning 8 people in Philadelphia, cops say."