Guilford County government has released new details about a man who died on a trail at Bur-Mil Park on Monday, June 14.
In a tragic accident, the man was hit by a falling tree. The hiker sustained life-threatening injuries on Big Loop Trail and later died.
According to a Wednesday, June 16 press release from the county, the tree appears to have been about 50 feet from the trail before the fall.
The death hit Guilford County parks staff hard. They’re used to seeing county residents enjoy themselves at county parks – and this is a highly unusual tragedy. Dwight Godwin, the interim parks director for Guilford County said this week, “We are all saddened by this loss of life. Our hearts go out to his family.”
Bur-Mil Park Supervisor Todd Moore said it was impossible to put the sorrow of the Bur-Mil staff into words.
“My team and I were devastated when we learned,” he said. “It was truly an unexpected and unthinkable incident. I just want to express my sincerest condolences to his loved ones.”
The county closed the trail down after the incident happened and the trail currently remains closed. County officials said that they expect the trail to be open again by the weekend.
Godwin said that county staff always works very hard to keep the parks safe. He said that the staff takes preventative measures to keep this type of thing from occurring, however, he added, there are always inherent risks in outdoor activities. Godwin said that, as part of the daily business of the parks, staff routinely checks for threats in order to enhance safety.
