First came a snapping sound, almost like a firecracker, witnesses said. Next came the chorus of screams.

Federico Flores turned Saturday afternoon in Whittier’s Penn Park and saw a large tree crashing down toward a wedding party, sending a group dressed in gowns and tuxedos scrambling for safety that some could not reach.

The eucalyptus tree, estimated to measure more than 80 feet tall, killed one woman and injured seven other people, including a 4-year-old girl who was listed in critical condition with head trauma, according to Whittier Police Department officials.

At the park, family members and bystanders rushed to free those trapped under the tree’s limbs, Flores told reporters at the scene. Rescuers tried to administer CPR to the woman who later died, he said. The L.A. County coroner’s office did not release her identity.


The mother lost her life. A 4-year-old is injured. How do you explain it? You can’t. Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri

“The mother lost her life. A 4-year-old is injured. How do you explain it? You can’t,” Whittier Mayor Joe Vinatieri said on Sunday. “The tragedy of the situation is on the hearts and minds of many people. 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.”

Those in the wedding party were taken to a nearby community center where mental health counselors and chaplains were on hand to console them, fire officials said. Meanwhile, crews used search dogs to make sure no others were pinned underneath the tangle of branches.

Penn Park, at nearly 6 acres, is popular for wedding photos because of its stately trees. Officials have closed it indefinitely until a certified arborist can inspect the tree and determine why it fell, according to City Manager Jeff Collier. The mayor said the tree was at least 50 years old.


Before the park is reopened, the city will also evaluate other trees and ensure there is no risk of them falling, Collier said.

Fire officials suspect recent rainfall coupled with California’s withering drought, now in its sixth year, may have played a role in the tree’s failure.

“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.

A storm system dumped 1.85 inches of rain on Whittier on Thursday and Friday, according to the National Weather Service.


Last July, an 85-foot pine tree fell onto dozens of young day campers outside a museum in Pasadena’s Brookside Park, critically injuring two children.

An arborist’s report later concluded that the prolonged drought, a lack of strong roots and a burst of rain were the main reasons behind the tree’s collapse. Pasadena had received 0.61 inches of rain in the 10 days before the incident.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

matt.hamilton@latimes.com


Twitter: @MattHjourno.

ALSO

Two men rescued after car plunges into Coronado Bay

Activists take to the streets to protest Donald Trump ahead of electoral college vote


Suspect in triple stabbing leads police on pursuit before waging hours-long standoff on Glendale roof