Family of Boy Killed by Falling Tree Limb Secures $19.3 Million Settlement

The family of an 8-year-old boy killed by a falling tree limb at a California summer camp has reached a $19.3 million settlement, New York Post reported. Lamar McGlothurn died on July 9, 2025, after a limb measuring 25 to 30 feet long and weighing hundreds of pounds struck campers at Camp Wildcraft on King Gillette Ranch in Calabasas.

Under the agreement, insurers for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority will pay about $16 million, while insurers for the camp and Gomez Landscape & Tree Care will contribute roughly $3 million.

The settlement resolves a negligence lawsuit filed by McGlothurn’s family against the MRCA, which manages the 588-acre site, and the landscaping company. A text message sent by a Gomez Landscape & Tree Care employee the day before the incident noted decay at the trunk and recommended thinning the canopy to reduce risk.

The camp had relocated to King Gillette Ranch for the 2025 season after its prior location was affected by the Palisades Fire.

McGlothurn was airlifted to a hospital and died from blunt-force injuries, according to the Ventura County Medical Examiner. An 11-year-old girl suffered a broken leg, a 5-year-old boy sustained cuts and a head laceration, a 22-year-old man received treatment for bruises and head and arm injuries, and a 73-year-old man suffered a concussion.

“This tragedy was entirely preventable,” attorney Robert Glassman said in a statement.

The MRCA issued a statement expressing sympathy for the McGlothurn family and stating that the settlement may bring some solace.