Girl, 7, dies after tree falls in Southend's Chalkwell Park

June 29, 2025 adminsr

Louise Parry

BBC News, Essex

Stuart Woodward/BBC In the foreground is black and yellow tape stretched across . The tree is still partly standing but some branches have fallen off. Its trunk is dark and thick. There are tennis court fences behind it and a series of wooden memorial benches in the foreground. — Security tape cordons off the area where a tree fell at Chalkwell Park in Essex

A witness has described how “40 to 50 people” tried to lift a fallen tree in a park after it trapped children, killing one of them.

A seven-year-old girl died in hospital and a six-year-old girl is in a critical condition after the tree collapsed in Chalkwell Park, Southend-on-Sea, on Saturday afternoon.

Accountant Ishan Madan, 39, was playing cricket nearby and said: “The tree had snapped and I think there were four children, the fifth one was slightly further away, I think she’d been hit by a branch.”

Members of the public have been laying flowers at the scene and Essex Police said investigations would continue at the park on Sunday.

People have been placing flowers at the park following the accident

Stuart Woodward/BBC Bunches of white and purple flowers, still in their wrapping, are left on cobblestones in the park. In the distance you can see police tape around trees and one police officer standing by a post wearing a high vis jacket, black hat and trousers. — People have been placing flowers at the park following the accident

Ch Supt Leighton Hammett said last night: “Families are facing unimaginable hardship this evening and all of our thoughts are with them at this time.”

Specialist officers are supporting the families of those affected, while support is also being provided to emergency service responders.

Five children were taken to hospital, three with minor injuries after the incident shortly before 15:00 BST.

Mr Madan, from Westcliffe-on-Sea, said on hearing a scream, everyone ran towards the tree.

“Two of them [the children] were under a smaller branch, they were rescued easily, and unfortunately, the other two girls, they were stuck under this massive tree.

“So we got bystanders to help, it must have been 40 to 50 people who then tried to lift the fallen tree up and to our horror, these two little girls, poor girls, were stuck underneath it.”

“Their mother was on the corner. It was horrendous.”

Mr Madan said he was told the children had been walking on a path when the tree fell.

Captain of Westcliff Cricket Club Joe Robbins praised “the unbelievable heroism of the members at the club and our First XI who sprinted off the field to do their best to help” and assisted the emergency services.

“All of us are heartbroken by what’s happened and we pass on our regards to the families involved,” he said.

A witness said up to 50 people ran to try to lift the tree off the children who were trapped

Elliot Deady/BBC In the foreground is police tape across a promenade. Black railings fence off an area of park and you can see fallen branches of a huge tree, that looks like a variety of fir or cedar. Its trunk is dark and thick and at least two very large branches are spread out sideways. Two people are looking at it from the left side of the picture. — A witness said up to 50 people ran to try to lift the tree off the children who were trapped

Ch Supt Hammett added: “I cannot begin to put into words how difficult today’s events have been, and continue to be, for them [the families].

“It’s also not lost on me how traumatic it must have been for the members of the public who witnessed this awful incident.

“Across a matter of moments, many of them went from enjoying the warm summer weather to rushing to the aid of strangers without a second thought.”

He continued: “They showed the best of Southend today, and I’m sorry this update does not bring them more positive news.

“My officers, and our partners with the ambulance and fire service, did all they could to help the two injured children.

“Today’s loss is one they will all take personally.”

Two air ambulances attended the incident and five children were taken to hospital by land ambulance

Aaron Chesham A red helicopter with yellow stripes on the tail hovers above the lawn of a large park, about 2 metres above it. You can see an ambulance on the road next to the park and cars parked alongside the fence. There are trees around the edge of the park. — Two air ambulances attended the incident and five children were taken to hospital by land ambulance

David Burton-Sampson, MP for Southend West and Leigh, said: “The news of the sad death of one of the children involved in the incident at Chalkwell Park today is truly devastating.

“I am sure I reflect the thoughts of all our residents here in Southend in sending my deepest condolences to the child’s family and friends.

“My thoughts are also with the other children injured and I wish them a full and speedy recovery.

“At the time of the incident, the park was very busy and a number of people witnessed what happened.”