Girl, 8, dies after getting trapped under logs in Argyll

A forest walk to the summit starting at the village of Benderloch. Picture: Robert Perry

Police confirmed last night that a 12-year-old girl was also injured in the incident on forestry land at Benderloch, north of Oban.

A police spokesman said: “Despite efforts by the paramedics and emergency services who attended, the eight- year-old girl died at the scene.

“Inquiries into the circumstances surrounding her death are ongoing, however police are not treating it as suspicious.”

He added: “Around 2:40pm police and emergency services were called to a report that a young girl had become trapped under the logs and that another 12-year-old girl had also been injured. The 12-year-old has been airlifted to Oban hospital for treatment.

“At this time we don’t have details of the extent of injuries, or her current condition.

“A report will be submitted to the procurator-fiscal and the Health and Safety Executive has been informed.”

The path up Ben Lora, which starts in the village of Benderloch, is currently fenced off and closed due to forestry works which are due to continue until September.

Lewis Morrison, who runs Ledaig Motors and Ledaig Leisure shop next to the entrance to the walkway, said: “This is a terrible tragedy and the thoughts of this small community are with the girls’ families.

“Accidents on the hill here are very rare.”

He added: “The Ben Lora walks have been closed, it’s all fenced off at this end, it’s completely closed.

“There is felling extraction going on and the bigger trees have been getting dropped down here at the car park, but I wouldn’t have thought there would have been any felling going on, on a Sunday.

“I heard a helicopter go over the top of Ben Lora this afternoon and there were various emergency vehicles went past here, heading north out of the village. There was an ambulance, two fire engines, police cars and another vehicle. There is a forest road from Barcaldine around the top of the mountain so they would maybe be able to get up there.”

Paul Woodhouse, whose remote house above Barcaldine is surrounded by the Ben Lora forest, said: “There was an ambulance and a fire officer up here this afternoon trying to get there, up Ben Lora, behind Benderloch.

“The fire officer was trying to find the way up through the forest road to Ben Lora, so I assumed someone had fallen and injured themselves.

“There has always been  dangers in the forest, they have signs up warning of the dangers.”