Tree falls on man during daughter's softball game in Alameda

The father of an Alameda high school student was seriously injured Friday night after a tree fell on him during his daughter's softball game, a city official said. The father of an Alameda high school student was seriously injured Friday night after a tree fell on him during his daughter's softball game, a city official said. Photo: City Of Alameda Photo: City Of Alameda Image 1 of / 10 Caption Close Tree falls on man during daughter's softball game in Alameda 1 / 10 Back to Gallery

The father of an Alameda high school student was seriously injured Friday night after a tree fell on him during his daughter's softball game, a city official said.

Encinal High School's varsity softball team was in the midst of play when a Monterey pine suddenly toppled, said Alameda city spokesperson Sarah Henry. She said the man is in stable condition, though seriously injured. He remains hospitalized.

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Alameda officials suspect wet soil from recent rains and a sloped landscape led to the accident. Arborists "regularly assess park trees in Alameda," the city said in a press release, with the last inspection having taken place in 2017. The fallen tree appeared to be healthy prior to the incident.

Tree that fell at Washington Park in #Alameda during #EncinalHS varsity softball game injured a player’s father. Coach says “it’s going to be a long recovery”. Team is “devastated”. pic.twitter.com/aGMeItZ03Y — Lilian Kim (@liliankim7) March 26, 2018

Maintenance staff removed the Monterey pine on Friday and returned the next day to remove a second tree "in an abundance of caution," the press release said. Officials deemed the park safe after the weekend inspection. It remains open to the public.

In an updated press release Monday, the city said an a tree contractor and an Alameda parks and recreation official conducted an additional assessment of trees on the slope where the Monterey pine fell. All park trees will be assessed in the coming weeks.

The city did not release the name of the injured man, but an Encinal coach told ABC7 that he faces a "long recovery."

Michelle Robertson is an SFGATE staff writer. Email her at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com or find her on Twitter at @mrobertsonsf.