12-year-old boy dies after tree branch falls on him while playing in backyard

A 12-year-old boy is dead after a tree fell on him while he was playing with a friend in his backyard, authorities said.

The incident occurred at approximately 12:09 p.m. on Monday when officers from the Lawrence Township Police Department in New Jersey responded to the 100 block of Eldridge Avenue in regard to a “report of a tree that had fallen on a 12-year-old male,” according to a statement from the Lawrence Township Police Department early Tuesday morning.

“Officers were able to free the juvenile from under the fallen tree and began CPR,” police said in their statement. “The victim was transported to Capital Health System – Regional Medical Center by Lawrence Township EMS, where he later succumbed to his injuries.”

Investigators subsequently determined that the boy was playing with a friend in his backyard when the tree was “blown over by gusty winds, striking the juvenile and causing fatal injuries,” according to authorities.

The Lawrence Township School District said that they will have grief counselors on hand to assist students and staff in the aftermath of the accident.

“In addition, therapy dogs and members of the Mercer County Traumatic Loss Coalition will be on school grounds to provide assistance,” police said.

The investigation into the accident is currently active and ongoing.