'˜Precious' girl who died in Argyll log accident is named

Kayla MacDonald died on Sunday.Kayla MacDonald died on Sunday.
Kayla MacDonald died on Sunday.
An eight-year-old girl who died after getting trapped under falling logs has been named.

Kayla MacDonald, from Dunbeg, was pronounced dead in an Argyll and Bute forest near the village of Benderloch on Sunday afternoon.

A 12-year-old girl was also injured and airlifted to hospital in nearby Oban before being transferred to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Glasgow.

Medical staff describe her condition as stable.

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Kayla’s family said: “Kayla was a precious fun-loving eight-year-old who was loved by everyone around her. Kayla’s smile would light up a room. She attended Rockfield’s Gaelic Medium where she was fluent in Gaelic.

“Our wee girl loved music and dance as well as doing hair, nails and make up. Kayla has two younger brothers who, along with the rest of her family and friends, will miss her dearly.”

A joint investigation between Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive will take place to establish the full circumstances surrounding the death. However, it is not being treated as suspicious.

A report will be submitted to the Procurator Fiscal.

Locals said logging has been taking place in the area with warning signs in place.

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Rev Jeffrey McCormick, minister of Ardchattan Church of Scotland, said: “There will be a deep sense of sorrow in the community.

“This will touch people of all sorts of ages, old and young, and will be remembered locally for years to come.

“Child death doesn’t happen often around Argyll - we’re a thinly populated place.”

Margaret Adams, convener of the local community council, told BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme that logging had been taking place since around February or March.

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She said: “The signs make it very clear that they don’t want people to go up because there will be heavy machinery and logs stacked.

“Even if people don’t know the child themselves, they will know the family in a small community, and every child is precious.

“Therefore, it really will have quite an effect on the locals.”

Police and other emergency services were called to the area after receiving a report a girl was trapped under logs.

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