Sheriff: 'No words' after 12-year-old boy killed by fallen tree at Howell Nature Center

HOWELL, Mich. (FOX 2) - Shock and heartbreak struck the Howell Nature Center in Livingston County, Michigan, on Thursday after a tree fell on a 12-year-old boy, leading to fatal injuries.

The boy was airlifted to Mott Children's Hospital in Ann Arbor, where he died from his injuries.

"What a tragedy. I truly have no words," said Livingston County Sheriff Michael Murphy.

Sheriff Murphy said the boy was part of a group from Our Lady of Victory Catholic School in Northville on an overnight field trip to the nature center.

Children were gathered around learning how to make a fire when they heard noises from the tree.

"They started hearing some noise, some crackling like a tree was going to fall, and everybody took off running," Murphy said.

The 12-year-old could not escape in time and suffered head injuries when the tree fell. The reason for the fall is still undetermined.

"There was no work being done," Murphy said. "We didn't have any high winds or anything. For whatever reason, it just decided it was time to tip over."

Geoff Yelen from the Howell Nature Center described the event as an accident and offered support for the boy's family.

"Our thoughts are with the student, the family, the school, and the staff, and that's all the information available right now," he said.

The nature center announced it would close Friday while investigators examine the cause of the incident.