A man was killed when a 70-foot tall eucalyptus tree fell on him Monday afternoon at Berryessa Creek Park in San Jose.
His death was reported just after 3 p.m. at the park and in the area of Messina Road.
City officials are investigating and said the cause could be weather or drought related. At least four others have been killed by fallen trees over the last few years, including a counselor at Camp Tawonga in 2013 and two 14-year-old boys in August 2015, both in Yosemite, and a 16-year-old boy in Oakland, who was climbing a tree in December 2015 near Fairyland when the branch broke.
Many residents in the neighborhood are concerned the tree's health may have played a role in it toppling over and want other trees around it to be inspected.
"It's just dangerous," resident Jennifer Peterson said. "It's something that needs to be taken a look at around here. There's lot of kids around here."
Running water near the tree is a concern and a city arborist was called out to the scene to investigate the cause. A specialized tree inspector will also investigate on Tuesday morning.
Police said several kids in the area were able to escape as the tree was falling. The man killed is believed to be at least 60 years old, officials said. The coroner has yet to identify the man.
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City officials late Monday were unable to tell if the tree was going to be cut down.
