5-year-old boy dies after tree falls on DeKalb County home

DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A 5-year-old boy has died after a tree fell on a home in DeKalb County.

DeKalb Fire Department spokesman Capt. Daniels confirmed the child’s death to Channel 2 Action News.

The family identified the boy as Zach and shared a photo of him with Channel 2′s Elizabeth Rawlins.

The tree fell on the home off Glenwood Road around 5 a.m. Fire crews arrived at the house and heard the mother screaming. She was rescued but the child did not make it.

“It’s tough. Obviously any loss of life renders a different feeling especially from the rescuers,” Daniels said.

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Daniels said trees in the area are older and the recent wet and windy weather contributed to the tree falling.

“All the rain that we’ve been having, the ground has been really soft,” he said.

Neighbors told Rawlins they are surrounded by massive trees in a neighborhood that’s more than 65 years old.

“These trees are so old because these houses are old,” neighbor Mary Smith said.

It hits too close to home for Smith, who says she’s been putting off cutting a tree. It’s a costly expense that isn’t always covered by insurance.

Crews worked into the afternoon to remove the tree and stabilize the house before they could recover the boy’s body.

There is a wind advisory in effect and the strong wind gusts up to 40 mph could lead to trees and power lines coming down.

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Wintry mix, gusty winds to start Monday Here's Severe Weather Team 2 Meteorologist Brian Monahan with a look at your forecast.

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