14-Year-Old Student Killed by Fallen Tree Branch in 'Tragic' Oregon Accident: 'We Are Devastated'

Photo: Gofundme

On Saturday, local authorities in Portland responded to reports that 14-year-old Christopher Kelly was killed at the Sandy River Delta around 11:15 a.m., the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office said in arelease.

“Despite lifesaving efforts, the teenager did not survive their injuries,” police stated.

“Our thoughts are with this young man’s family during this tragic time,” Undersheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell said in astatement. “This weighs heavy on all of us in the first responder community.”

“Where you can, when you’re in larger cleared areas, make sure you’re listening and paying attention to your surroundings as we’re heading into the winter months with wind, rain and possible storms,” O’Donnell added,FOX12reports.

PPB stated that Portland Fire & Rescuecalled an arboristto the scene for an inspection and to ensure that tree was safe as it was “severely deteriorated.”

The Portland Police Bureau did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

PPB North Precinct

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Kelly was attending an event with Friends of Trees, a volunteer group that plants trees in the area.

On Monday, the nonprofit organization shared their condolences after the incident. “As you may have read there was a tragic accident at one of our planting events last Saturday. We are devastated and our hearts go out to the family,” atweetread.

The teen’s aunt, Kathleen Arthur, said that Kelly was a freshman at Central Catholic High School in Portland, according toThe Oregonian.

“He was just so sweet, just a smiling, wonderful child who believed in volunteerism,” Arthur told the outlet. “It’s just so tragic that this happened, it’s just so unfair.”

source: people.com