The Hospital Mexico* information department confirmed that the 14 year old U.S. citizen, surnamed Johnson, passed away on Wednesday afternoon. Miss Johnson was struck by a falling tree while she and her family were at a visitor’s center.

Alfredo Mulato of the Red Cross states that Wednesday morning, at 8 a.m. they got the emergency call from a tourist center in the town of Cinchona, near Vara Blanca* in Heredia. The call requested immediate attention for a girl who had been struck by a tree at the tourist center called Peace Lodge.

Mulato said that Unit M-67 of Heredia arrived at the scene and found that Miss Johnson had been hit by multiple branches and had a serious blow to her head. "The rescuers proceeded to give her first aid in the area and then she was sent in the M-67 ambulance to the sports plaza in Vara Blanca, Heredia, where the ambulance helicopter took her to the Hospital Mexico in La Uruca.”

Sandra Villegas, assistant manager of the lodge tourist center, gave a report on local Spanish TV saying, "We have never thought that could be happen here in the park, we have always watched over the customer safety."

Regarding the security measures that the place has for tourists, Mrs. Villegas said that the staff always watches that the guests comply with the security advice. "Our staff is always very attentive to them (referring to tourists) and all the security recommendations are fulfilled.  We give them the recommendations in the reception desk and we give them a map of how the tour should be done."

According to Mrs. Villegas, the tree that fell on the girl was in an area where it should not have fallen. The expectation appears to have been that the tree, if it ever fell, would fall in a different direction, that is, toward the La Paz River not on animal housing.  “This is totally unusual, we cannot believe that all the possibilities that tree had to fall towards the edge of the river La Paz, happened the opposite and fell on the area of the oxen house we never thought it would happen.”