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Two OC Korean teens killed by falling tree limb at Yosemite National Park

August 18, 2015

This frame made from a video provided by KFSN-TV-abc30 shows a portion of an oak tree that split away, falling to the ground and killing two young campers in a tent at the Upper Pines campground in Yosemite National Park, Calif., Friday, Aug. 14, 2015. Park spokesman Scott Gediman declined to release the ages or any details about the two, describing them only as under age 18. (KFSN-TV-abc30 via AP)

Dragon Kim, left, and Justin Lee.

An oak tree limb fell on a tent in the heart of Yosemite National Park last Friday, killing two young campers, officials said.

The two 14-year-old victims turned out to be Korean American students from Orange County, California. Dragon Kim of Tustin and Justin Lee of Irvine both attended Northwood High School in Irvine.

A large tree limb snapped off a black oak and landed directly on top of their tent a spokeswoman for the Mariposa County coroner’s office said. It is believed that the two passed away immediately after the incident. Park rangers arrived on the scene at 5 a.m. after receiving a 911 emergency call.

The two boys also were on Northwood’s water polo team together.

Kim’s parents shared a letter to the rest of his teammates in remembrance of their son.

“Dragon, we love you so much,” the letter read. “Thank you for bringing so much love, laughter, and music to our lives. You are our precious son and you will live on with us.”

Large fallen limbs are a common occurrence at Yosemite, and they have occasionally led to deaths. The most recent was in 2012, when a park concession employee died when his tent cabin was hit. Two tourists were killed and nine were injured in 1985 when a 25-foot branch fell onto an open-air tram.

Materials from AP were used in this article.