It's believed that months of drought stressed the tree and recent rains loosened the roots, causing the tree to fall.
Heartbreaking scenes unfolded in Los Angeles Saturday afternoon after a 10-story tree fell on a wedding party posing for pictures, killing the bride’s 61-year-old mother.
Rescue workers performed CPR on the bride's mom, as a little boy from the wedding party bowed his head in prayer. Unfortunately, the mother of the bride succumbed to her injuries.
The bride, 38-year-old Patricia Mojarro, had been posing in her wedding dress beneath the eucalyptus tree, moments before the incident.
It's believed months of drought stressed the tree and recent rains loosened the roots, causing the mammoth tree to fall.
The eyewitness who filmed the incident said: “We just watched some little kids go flying under that tree. It's crazy. We were under there like five minutes ago. We were standing under there.”
Firefighters worked frantically to free trapped victims. Seven people were injured, including a 4-year-old girl with serious head injuries. She is said to be in critical condition.
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How can you tell if a tree might fall?
Tree expert Ken Missbrenner told Inside Edition that indications can be found in the leaves.
“I look for balanced foliage. If there is a problem, you'll see a loss of leaves,” he said.
Also important, he said, is to look for cavities, cracks and check the trunk. Cavities and stress cracks can let water into the tree and cause it to rot.
He added that trees should be checked at least once a year to make sure they haven't sustained any disastrous problems.
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