Horror as homeless man is killed in his tent by a falling tree
A MAN was killed in a freak accident yesterday when a tree fell on his tent.
The man, who has yet to be identified, was camping on the south bank of the Water of Leith near Dean Village in Edinburgh when the 40ft tree toppled over at 3.30am on Saturday.
He was pronounced dead at the scene while another man, aged 35 and also asleep at the time, suffered minor injuries. Experts said the tree fell ‘as a result of natural occurrences’ but local residents said it had been hollow near its base.
Historic Dean Village is one of Edinburgh’s most picturesque beauty spots, nestled in a valley beneath Thomas Telford’s Dean Bridge in the capital’s West End.
The men were camping in a secluded spot sheltered on two sides by the remaining walls of an old mill. The site was accessed by a narrow muddy path from Miller Row but invisible to the busy Water of Leith walkway directly above.
The area is popular with artists and a few fishermen, but the site is not known for camping. It is understood the two men were homeless.
The entire tree had been uprooted, and emergency services sawed through the upper sections to free the tent from the heavy weight.
Local resident Helen McGinty, 46, who lives in the converted former West Mill near the site of the tragedy, said: ‘I heard sawing around five to six in the morning, like they were chopping down a tree.
‘There were two ambulances on the bridge and a paramedics’ car. You could hear the loud chainsaw and branches hitting the water.
‘There was an ambulance sitting on the bridge with its hazards on and lights flashing, and the fire service, but there were no sirens. I’ve never seen anyone camping down there.
‘I wouldn’t want to camp there – it’s damp, but it is sheltered.
‘We’ve been down there to pick brambles in the past, and you have to fight your way through branches.
‘The tree was hollowed out near the bottom – our wee one, who’s always looking for fairies, called it the fairy tree.
‘It’s been burnt-out for ages but it was still standing upright. It’s a terrible thing that’s happened.’
At the site yesterday there were charred remains of a campfire and a few empty beer cans, possibly from an earlier visit.
Another Dean Village resident, who asked not to be named, said:
‘You would not stand a chance’
‘It’s an awful tragedy. You can see the size of the tree. You wouldn’t stand a chance.’
A Police Scotland spokesman said: ‘Police in Edinburgh were called to an area of woodlands on the south bank of the Water of Leith around 3.30am on Saturday.
‘A very large tree had fallen on a tent in which two men were sleeping and, sadly, one of the men was pronounced dead at the scene. A 35-year-old man also suffered minor injuries but did not require medical treatment.
‘Officers have consulted with the appropriate partners who are confident that the tree fell as a result of natural occurrences. We are working to trace the deceased’s next of kin and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.’