Runners: here’s your reminder to be careful around trees over the holidays. According to The Chronicle Herald a runner in Dartmouth, N.S., was struck by a tree last week after it fell on local trail. The Halifax Fire Department used a chainsaw to remove the tree that was pinning her down; the individual was then sent to hospital by ambulance, where she was placed in a medically-induced coma. It was later revealed that the woman, Katelyn Beaver, was pregnant with her second child.
Runner seriously injured by falling tree in Shubie Park https://t.co/FroaEST5pw
— sackvillenovascotia (@sackvillenovasc) December 19, 2024
Family members said on social media that the victim was found unconscious by another walker on the Shubie Park trail. Coworkers of the Beaver’s husband, Matt, set up a GoFundMe page to offer financial support for the family while navigating Beaver’s stay in the ICU. “Katelyn is currently expecting their second child and although stable, it presents an even greater challenge for their family and the amazing medical staff,” the page reads.
As of Friday, no further updates on Beaver’s condition were provided. The GoFundMe page has raised more than $80,000 over the past week.
The tree was reportedly a white birch, a species known for rotting internally while remaining upright–making them susceptible to sudden collapse.
Halifax’s Shubie Park isn’t the only wooded area with recent reports of fallen trees endangering trail users. Last week, a woman near Kelowna, B.C., tragically died after being struck by a tree, toppled by a sudden gust of wind.
