A man died in Muir Woods National Monument, California, after being hit by a sequoia. The disaster happened, according to Marin County police, in the late afternoon of December 24.
Rescue workers found the 28-year-old lifeless next to a large sequoia tree that "unexpectedly" fell to the ground. The deceased is said to be from Minnesota.
According to media reports, the 28-year-old was on a hiking trail in the park near San Francisco with two other people when the disaster occurred. A woman was hospitalized with injuries, according to the Guardian, among others.
According to a spokesman for the park, the disaster is a very rare event. The cause may be winter storms and rains, which soften the soil around the roots of the 61-meter-high tree. The incident is being investigated.
The Muir Woods National Monument is best known for its centuries-old redwood trees. The oldest specimen is said to be 1200 years old. The park is visited by almost a million people annually.
