$19.3-million settlement reached after boy killed by falling tree branch in Calabasas, report says
CALABASAS, Calif. (KABC) -- Nearly one year after an 8-year-old boy was struck and killed by a massive branch that fell from a tree at a Calabasas summer camp, the child's family has reached a multimillion-dollar settlement in the case, the Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday.
The settlement was reached with the Mountain Recreation and Conservation Authority, Camp Wildcraft and a landscaping company, according to The Times.
Lamar McGlothurn's family will receive about $16 million from insurers, the newspaper reported.
The incident unfolded on the afternoon of July 9, 2025, at King Gillette Ranch on Mulholland Drive.
Lamar died after being hit by the branch, and several others were injured. The victims were all part of a summer camp and were gathering at the end of the day under an oak tree.
"They heard cracks and suddenly a very large branch fell on top of them. It is being estimated that it was 25-30 foot branch," the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said in a news release.
The 8-year-old boy was taken to the hospital where he later died. Four other people suffered varying degrees of injuries.
An 11-year-old girl was airlifted to the hospital with a broken leg, a 5-year-old boy sustained cuts to his head, a 22-year-old man had abrasions to his head and bruising to his arm and a 73-year-old man had a concussion, the department said.
"Words cannot express the depth of our sorrow. Our hearts are with the child's family, friends, and all those affected by this unimaginable tragedy," a statement from the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, which manages the park, said at the time.
