Family tributes to ‘fun-loving’ girl
● Kayla Macdonald was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident
An eight-year-old who died after she was trapped under falling logs was a “precious, fun-loving” girl, her family said last night.
Kayla Macdonald died following the accident in an Argyll and Bute forest near the village of Benderloch on Sunday afternoon. Kayla, from Dunbeg, was a pupil at Rockfield’s Gaelic Medium School.
An eight-year-old girl who died after getting trapped under falling logs has been named.
Kayla Macdonald, from Dunbeg, was pronounced dead in an Argyll and Bute forest near the village of Benderloch on Sunday afternoon.
A 12-year-old girl was also injured and airlifted to hospital in nearby Oban before being transferred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow. Medical staff last night described her condition as stable.
Kayla’s family said in a statement: “Kayla was a precious, fun-loving, eight-year-old who was loved by everyone around her. Kayla’s smile would light up a room.
“She attended Rockfield’s Gaelic Medium [School] where she was fluent in Gaelic.
“Our wee girl loved music and dance as well as doing hair, nails and make-up.
“Kayla has two younger brothers who, along with the rest of her family and friends, will miss her dearly.”
A joint inquiry by Police Scotland and the Health & Safety Executive will take place to establish the full circumstances. However, her death is not being treated as suspicious. A report will be submitted to the procurator-fiscal.
Locals said logging has been taking place in the area with warning signs in place.
Rev Jeffrey Mccormick, minister of Ardchattan parish church, said: “There will be a deep sense of sorrow in the community. This will touch people of all sorts of ages, old and young, and will be remembered locally for years.”
A local resident, who knows the family, said the grandfather of the eight-year-old girl was out walking with her when the accident happened.
Hesaid:“itwasanormalfamily outing that unfortunately ended in tragedy because of a site that was used as a play area. They were just playing on the logs and that was it. Obviously with the weight of the things you would think it wouldn’t move, but it did.”
The advertised starting point to the public walks into the Ben Lora area of the forest, which start in the village of Benderloch, are currently fenced off and closed due to forestry works which are due to continue until September.