Man, 21, killed in 184ft Christmas tree collapse as others desperately swim to safety A 21-year-old man has been killed and two others injured after a giant Christmas tree came crashing down during a storm.
Town hall chiefs said in a statement overnight: “Marica Town Hall deeply regrets the tragedy that occurred yesterday afternoon at Araçatiba Lagoon, when one person died and two were injured after the structure of the Christmas tree that was being assembled collapsed.
Three workers who had been erecting the tree ahead of its official opening were trying to reach safety when they were struck by the structure.
As soon as Civil Defence issued a warning of heavy rain at 3.45pm yesterday, the company hired to assemble the tree began to remove workers from the area.
Footage of the dramatic moment shows other workers jumping into the water and trying to swim away from the tree before it came down.
