Little Boy Praying after 10-Story Tall Tree Falls on Wedding Party Taking Photos
Often when disaster strikes, those involved tend to panic or succumb to their emotions as adrenaline kicks in.
However, after a 100-foot tree came crashing down during a wedding and injured multiple people in its path, one little boy decided on a different approach.
The tragedy happened on what was supposed to be the best day of a couple’s life: their wedding.
Around 4:30 p.m. on a Saturday in December 2016, the happily-ever-after soon turned into a nightmare as a tall eucalyptus tree plummeted down where some of the bridal party and guests had gathered to take memorable photos.
The tree trapped numerous guests and injured five others, including a 4-year-old who went to the hospital with severe head trauma.
While CPR and other care was quickly administered, the little boy from the wedding party began to calmly pray.
Sadly, the mother of the bride eventually died from her injuries. Her daughter, 38-year-old Patricia Mojarro, had been taking photos in that same spot just moments before it collapsed.
Wedding photographer Gilbert Duran had posted a video after the incident recalling that he’d helped pull the mother of the bride from beneath the foliage. “I’m pretty sure she’s dead,” he told others.
Other eyewitnesses were just across the street at a quinceañera when they claimed they saw the bride screaming after the tree fell.
Officials weren’t exactly sure what had caused the tree to fall in the first place, though they had their share of speculation.
One of the agreed-to causes had been the tree — which was nearly 50 years old — succumbing to California’s unpredictable weather patters.
“We’ve seen this happen throughout Southern California with both the drought conditions — trees are stressed — and we did have a large amount of rain,” said Deputy Chief John Tripp of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.
“The mother lost her life. A 4-year-old is injured. How do you explain it? You can’t.” said Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri.
“The tragedy of the situation is on the hearts and minds of many people,” he added, suggesting that others do exactly what that young boy had done: pray.
“We need to pray for the family because of the injuries and losing someone on a day that’s supposed to be a great celebration.”
Though it would certainly be a while before their grief was healed, guests were taken to a senior center not far from the incident’s location, where they were immediately offered help by mental health professionals.
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