No one ever anticipates a wholesome family event turning tragic. We all — myself included — step out of the house and embark on simple adventures with our families without ever blinking an eye. After all, when you hear about an event like an Easter egg hunt, the last thing on your mind is imminent danger lurking around the corner. Sadly, families in Satrupholm, Germany, did not get the wholesome experience they were hoping for. According to Metro, what was supposed to be a fun holiday outing turned into tragedy when several participants were crushed to death while looking for Easter eggs.
The hunt was reportedly held in a wooded area that was under a storm warning.
A 100-foot log fell on top of four participants, killing a 21-year-old mom, her 10-month-old baby, and a 16-year-old. The fourth victim was an 18-year-old woman who was airlifted to a local hospital to be treated for serious injuries; thus far there is no word on her condition. The baby reportedly did not die at the scene but was also airlifted to the hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
The people hunting for said eggs were part of a group of approximately 50 new mothers, expectant mothers, and staff from the nearby Sterni-Park residential group, an organization that helps young, vulnerable families.
Winds reportedly were blustering up to 60 mph during the hunt.
First responders arrived at the scene promptly, and attempted to treat the 21-year-old and 16-year-old on site, but they died at the scene, Fox 5 reported. Earlier, German weather forecasters had put the area under a high winds weather advisory. Eyewitnesses say eggs were strewn across the area, and they watched in horror as the tree trapped the young women and the infant.
The outlet went on to share that officials from the Schleswig-Holstein region, where the facility is based, made an official statement that they were “deeply shaken” by the incident.
“Our thoughts are with the family members of the dead, with the injured, and with everyone who had to experience this terrible occurrence,” regional Governor Daniel Günther, Interior Minister Magdalena Finke, and Youth and Families Minister Aminata Touré reportedly expressed in a joint statement.
Others also received minor injuries.
People reported that the state-funded organization noted in a statement that it is “deeply shocked” by the “tragic accident.”
“A falling tree brought a terrible end to the joyful Easter egg hunt,” the statement read. “SterniPark mourns the loss of three young people. We thank all the emergency services personnel from the fire departments and police, the emergency chaplains and staff who did everything humanly possible on site to help, rescue and provide support in times of pain.
“The residents, children, young people, relatives and staff now need time and all our support to process this tragedy,” the statement added.
