Tree crushes Prescott boy on California camping trip

SAN MATEO COUNTY, CA - A Prescott boy is fighting for his life after a tree fell on his tent while he was sleeping.

Zachary Rowe, 12, is in a Northern California hospital where doctors will do exploratory surgery soon to see the extent of the damage.

The freak accident  happened during a family camping trip to San Mateo County, California at 5 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Zachary was sharing a tent with his cousin when they heard a loud pop. It was the large Oak tree snapping, which measured 2.5 feet in diameter.

Zachary's cousin walked away with cuts and bruises. But soon after it happened, Zachary starting complaining about his legs. He said they felt like "jelly."

A family friend spoke to reporters on behalf of Zachary's mother. "Zachary is a special little boy and she wants people to know that," said Shannon Renae. "This has been devastating to all of us."

The family has been camping at this park for three generations.

Park rangers say the tree showed some signs of rot, but nothing that would cause them to mark the tree as dangerous.