California

Teens Who Died by Falling Tree Branch Mourned

Classmates share their grief on social media.

Family and friends mourned Tuesday two Orange County students who died when a tree fell on their campground in Yosemite.

Friends of Dragon Kim and Justin Lee, who attended Pioneer Middle School in Tustin together and were soon to be classmates at Orange County School of the Arts in Santa Ana, took to social media over the weekend to express their grief as word slowly spread about their deaths.

"It's just a real tragedy," Mark Eliot, a spokesman for the Tustin Unified School District. "Our hearts and thoughts go out to the families during this difficult time. It's just a tremendous loss."

Dragon Kim's parents, Daniel and Grace wrote a letter to their son's teammates with Northwood Water Polo Club, according to the Orange County Register.

"We are in deep sorrow and mourning," they wrote. "Dragon's mother, sister and I are home but our hearts are forever broken.

In a note to their son, his parents wrote: "Dragon, we love you so much. Thank you for bringing so much love, laughter, and music to our lives. You are our precious son, and you will live on with us."

In addition to attending Pioneer Middle School, the boys played water polo together, Eliot said.

He said grief counselors would be on hand when registration and classes begin at Pioneer Middle School and Beckman High School, where many of the boys' classmates attend. Classes are scheduled to resume Sept. 1.

Dragon was already a student at Orange County School of the Arts, and Justin was scheduled to begin taking classes there at the beginning of the school year. Dragon's family told the paper they were not ready to discuss the boy's death, while Justin's family could not be reached.

The boys died around 5 a.m. Friday when the tree fell on their tent at the Upper Pines Campground. A park spokesman said the teens were on a camping vacation with family.

NBC4 Wire Services contributed to this report.

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