Woman found dead next to fallen tree branch in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park
A woman was declared dead on Saturday evening after she was found lying next to a fallen tree branch in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, officials said.
The incident was reported just after 5 p.m. at John F. Kennedy Drive and 30th Avenue, Jonathan Baxter, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Fire Department, wrote in a text.
"A jogger observed an elderly female down next to a large tree branch and called 911," Baxter wrote.
Paramedics, firefighters and the San Francisco Police Department responded to the scene and provided life-saving measures but despite the efforts, she was declared deceased.
Baxter said the official cause of death is under investigation by the San Francisco Medical Examiner. The Medical Examiner was not available for comment before this story published.
The tree associated with the incident is a pine, said Daniel Montes, communications manager for San Francisco Recreation and Parks.
"Back-to-back storms, flooding and extreme winds following a years-long drought has toppled hundreds of trees and snapped off countless limbs in San Francisco, including in our parks," Montest wrote in an email. "We are heartbroken that one of our park users tragically lost her life during the Jan. 14 storm when a limb fell from a pine tree in Golden Gate Park."
Rec and Park arborists and rangers responded to the incident to ensure there was no additional threat to the public. Montes said park visitors should exercise caution under and around trees during extreme weather. "Severe weather events make felled trees extremely difficult to predict, as previously healthy trees can fall or shed limbs due to high winds and saturated ground," Montes wrote.
A parade of storms has swept the San Francisco Bay Area since Dec. 26, dumping heavy rain and kicking up winds. Amid the stormy conditions, trees have fallen across the city.
Anyone with information about the incident can contact SFPD at (415) 575-4444 or text a tip to TIP411 and begin the message with SFPD.