The massive tree branch that fell in Central Park dwarfs the park-goers standing nearby | Upper East Site
The massive tree branch that fell in Central Park dwarfs the park-goers standing nearby | Upper East Site

Massive Tree Branch Crashes Down on Central Park Pathway Near UES Entrance

A terrifying situation unfolded in Central Park Friday morning when a massive, 20-foot-long tree branch came crashing down onto a pathway near an Upper East Side entrance.

The giant tree branch fell near the Miners' Gate entrance on the Upper East Side | Upper East Site
The giant tree branch fell near the Miners’ Gate entrance on the Upper East Side | Upper East Site

Photos show the immediate aftermath of the falling tree limb, which came down near the Miners’ Gate, located on Fifth Avenue near East 79th Street, just after 8:00 am, according to an eyewitness who detailed the harrowing ordeal to Upper East Site.

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The Upper East Side resident who wished to remain anonymous said she saw it break and fall while walking in the park this morning and was “so thankful no one was under it” at the time.

No one was under the tree when the branch fell Friday morning | Upper East Site
No one was under the tree when the branch fell Friday morning | Upper East Site

By 10:00 am, crews from the Central Park Conservancy had the Miners’ Gate closed off as crews cut apart the massive branch and stuffed pieces into a wood chipper so large it needed its own trailer, the sounds of grinding tree limbs filling the morning air.

Central Park Conservancy crews worked to remove the fallen tree branch | Upper East Site
Central Park Conservancy crews worked to remove the fallen tree branch | Upper East Site

Falling trees or branches striking parkgoers is rare but particularly perilous. Two tourists were hit by a falling branch and injured on Green Lawn Playground in 2021.

Crews fed pieces of the massive tree branch into a large wood chipper | Upper East Site
Crews fed pieces of the massive tree branch into a large wood chipper | Upper East Site

Four years earlier, a 39-year-old mother and her three young children were injured when an elm tree toppled onto them on West Drive near 62nd Street.

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In 2010, a falling branch killed a six-month-old baby girl and critically injured her mother outside the Central Park Zoo.

The branch fell near the Miners' Gate on Fifth Avenue near East 79th Street | Upper East Site
The branch fell near the Miners’ Gate on Fifth Avenue near East 79th Street | Upper East Site

NYC Parks asks parkgoers to report damaged trees immediately before they become a significant hazard. Look for cracked tree branches, split tree trunks, and any trees leaning or uprooted. Parkgoers can report them on NYC Parks website by clicking here or through 311.

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