Hiker killed by falling redwood tree in California’s Muir Woods National Monument Park

A 28-year-old Minnesota man hiking in Muir Woods National Monument Park died this week after a redwood tree collapsed and struck him.

Officials said Subhradeep Dutta from Edina, Minn., was hiking along a trail path on Christmas Eve when a large tree unexpectedly fell to the ground, according to a statement from the Marin County Sheriff’s Office. 

When first responders arrived at the scene, he was discovered unconscious beneath the tree. He sustained “severe traumatic injuries” and was pronounced dead at the scene around 5:01 p.m.

A forensic postmortem examination is scheduled for Friday to determine the cause and manner of death. The sheriff’s office said an active investigation is still ongoing.

Muir Woods National Monument is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which was the most popular National Park Service site in 2018 with more than 15 million visits. 

The Hill has reached out to the park for comment.