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'Beautiful' girl, 8, died from catastrophic injuries after falling tree branch killed her during family walk

Maisy died in August aged eight. (Funeralguide)
Maisy died in August aged eight. (Funeralguide)

An eight-year-old girl suffered “catastrophic” injuries and died instantly when a tree branch fell and hit her while she walked dogs with her family, an inquest has heard.

Maisy Mayne, described as a “beautiful girl and amazing big sister”, was hit on the head during the incident, which happened amid high winds on 21 August.

Her sister received serious injuries and had to be airlifted to hospital after a large emergency response got under way.

The girls has been walking with her grandparents in the wooded area in Bobbing, Kent, on the warm day.

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The inquest in Maidstone heard on Tuesday that the trees were swaying “significantly” as gusts reached 40mph.

Maisy and her siblings went to look at a fallen tree when a large branch broke off and fell, trapping her underneath.

Her grandfather, Perry Bailey, said in a statement that he was unable to lift it off her.

“I thought that she was dead,” he said.

An inquest into Maisy's death was held on Tuesday. (Funeralguide)
An inquest into Maisy's death was held on Tuesday. (Funeralguide)

Maisy’s “catastrophic injuries” included severe head trauma and a broken leg. Her sister has recovered.

James Dillon, assistant coroner, concluded the death was accidental and said: “The fact of this inquest is it’s tragic, it’s an unforeseeable tragic circumstance that Maisy happened to be beneath the tree when the branch fell.”

Speaking at the inquest, which was attended by Maisy’s parents, including mother Nicole, a police officer, Dillon said: “As another parent I understand the tragedy that has unfolded here.”

A fundraiser was set up after her death to donate to King’s College Hospital, London, which the page said saved her sister’s life.

It described Maisy as “our beautiful girl and amazing big sister”.

“We will miss you so, so much darling xxxx.”

Money can also be given to the Rhys Daniels Trust, an Epping-based charity that provides accommodation at specialist children’s hospitals, and the Kent, Surrey and Sussex Air Ambulance Trust.

“All of these are amazing charities and without them we'd have lost both our girls x,” the page added.

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