Boy killed by tree at Howell Nature Center was son of Northville city councilmember
Declan Carter (in the middle) with his family. (Via the City of Northville)
NORTHVILLE, Mich. (FOX 2) - A 6th grader who was killed by a falling tree during a field trip to the Howell Nature Center on Thursday is being mourned by his community.
Identified as Declan Carter, the 12-year-old was the son of Northville City Councilmember John Carter.
Declan is remembered as a Norvillian "who had his whole life in front of him," said Mayor Brian Turnbull in a community letter. "He had great potential academically, athletically (as one of the top runners in the area) and socially as a part of the fabric and DNA of Northville."
Declan was on a field trip to the Howell Nature Center with a group of other students from Our Lady of Victory Catholic School when a tree came falling down, striking him on the head.
"They started hearing some noise, some crackling like a tree was going to fall, and everybody took off running," Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy said.
Declan was the only one who could not escape the tree in time.
The boy was airlifted to Mott’s Children Hospital at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where he died from his injuries.
Sources told FOX 2 that the trunk of the tree may have been rotted, which could be why it fell.
"I had the pleasure of knowing Declan, having visited with him and his sister, Georgia, in front of their home many times, especially on hot summer afternoons for a lemonade," Turnbull said. "It is up to us to keep Declan’s spirit and memory alive in our hearts and from this day forward, to always have the Carter family in our prayers."
Declan is survived by his father John Carter, his mother Liz Carter, and his sisters Georgia and Ainsley Carter.
The Howell Nature Center is currently closed, and Our Lady of Victory had grief counselors available for students on Friday.
Flags at the Northville City Hall were at half-staff on Friday in memory of Declan.
Boy killed by falling tree while on field trip at Howell Nature Center
A child died Thursday after a tree fell on him while on a field trip to the Howell Nature Center. The 12-year-old victim was with a group of other students from Our Lady of Victory Catholic School in Northville when a tree fell.