A California couple was arriving at their son’s summer camp for pickup when a massive oak tree branch collapsed and crushed 8-year-old Lamar McGlothurn to death — right in front of them. Now, after a months-long legal battle, the family has secured a $14.65 million settlement.
Lamar was attending Camp Wildcraft at King Gillette Ranch in Los Angeles County when the fatal incident occurred in July 2025. According to a legal complaint filed by the family, camp staff had been warned multiple times that the same tree was unstable and dangerous — yet children were directed to play, paint, and rest beneath it anyway.
“Thank god that no one was seriously hurt or killed… I would not have been able to sleep at night knowing that branch was just waiting to fall.”
— MRCA division chief, in an email sent one week before Lamar’s death
A tree care worker had also sent a warning text just six days before Lamar was killed, noting visible decay at the trunk and urging that action be taken. Nothing was done.
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), which managed the park, along with Camp Wildcraft and Gomez Landscape & Tree Care were named in the lawsuit. The $14.65 million settlement includes payments from all three parties, the bulk of which comes through the MRCA’s insurance coverage.
Post-incident inspections reportedly found visible signs of structural failure in the tree — deterioration and internal decay that experts say should have been caught before the tragedy. The family’s attorney called the case a fight for “accountability” and expressed hope that it leads to safer conditions in parks across the region.
Lamar’s parents, who witnessed their son’s death firsthand, have not made public statements following the settlement announcement.
