An eight-year-old twin girl was killed along with her family dog when a tree fell on her tent during a family camping trip.
The family was camping at the Boise National Forest in Idaho, US, last weekend when a dead cottonwood tree fell on top of their tent, killing Cadence Eastin and Sybil, the pet dog.
Elmore County Sheriff’s Office deputies were on the scene quickly, but after fruitless attempts to revive the girl, they declared her dead.
At the time of the tragedy, Cadence was present with her parents, Quin and Natasha Eastin, as well as seven siblings, including Cadence’s twin, London.
The tree that fell on her was discovered to be rotten at its base, the sheriff’s office said. A message on GoFundMe said the family is completely heartbroken by the loss.
They wrote: “Cadence was a truly special child. In addition to always having a cheerful, happy nature, she was known for having a perpetual and warm smile. She loved animals and they loved her. It is especially revealing that the family dog was curled up next to her when the tree fell taking both of their lives.”
“Cadence was bright, intelligent and an eager-to-learn student. Curiously, she almost always hung out with the adults at family gatherings and seemed to have been gifted with a higher intellect than would normally be expected of an 8-year-old child. Being raised in a Christian family, she was taught to be kind to others, made friends easily and avoided quarreling with others.”
More than $28,000 has already been raised on the page to assist with covering the funeral expenses.
Police have spoken with representatives from the Boise National Forest to ascertain the precise cause of the tree’s collapse. The Elk and Pony complex fires in 2013 had scorched the region where the tree had fallen. It left behind a number of burned-out trees, which had eroded over time and become unstable.
The scenery, wildlife, cabin owners, ranchers, and tourists were all significantly impacted by the Pony and Elk complex wildfires at Mountain Home. The fires raged from Black’s Creek to Featherville, devouring 280,000 acres of rangelands and woodlands in a couple of days after being started by lightning in temperatures over 100 degrees.
Thirty-eight residences and 43 outbuildings in the area of Pine and Fall Creek were also destroyed by the fires, according to idrange.org.
Federal authorities halted access to camping and fishing along the well-known South Fork as soon as the fires were put out. More than 20 ranchers had to withdraw their livestock from the burn zone for at least two years in order to give the land time to recuperate.