 | Eric Lawson, 6, died July 25. Myersville Elementary School Principal Sue Kreiger described Eric as a sweet boy with a smile that brightened the room. |
A 6-year-old Sterling boy died July 25 after he was struck by a tree at Claude Moore Park during a severe afternoon storm that barreled through Loudoun County.
Eric Lawson and his family were walking on a path behind the park’s recreation center about 3 p.m. when a portion of a large tree was toppled by wind and fell on him, according to Kraig Troxell, spokesman for the Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office.
Eric’s father grabbed him from underneath the tree and raced back to the recreation center, where staff administered CPR, Troxell said.
He was taken to Inova Loudoun Hospital in Lansdowne, where he died.
The path the family was walking on cuts through the woods behind the recreation center and comes out at West Church Road and North Aspen Avenue near their home, authorities said.
Eric would have been a first-grader at Myersville Elementary School in Frederick County, Md., according to a spokeswoman for the school system. He lived in Maryland during the school year with his mother, stepfather, and stepbrothers.
Myersville Elementary School Principal Sue Kreiger described Eric as a sweet boy with a smile that brightened the room.
“Eric was a delight,” Kreiger said. “He was one of those children that when you were around him you were happy. He made you happy to be with him.”
The principal said the community where Eric attended school is close-knit and are all mourning his death.
“These things are never easy, but the community will certainly rally around each other,” she said.
The storm was part of a line of severe thunderstorms that hit Northern Virginia, downing trees and leaving thousands without electricity.
Winds during the storm gusted up to 70 mph, according to the National Weather Service.
The storm was blamed for two other deaths in the region, including a woman in College Park, Md., who died when a tree fell on her minivan and a 63-year-old Annapolis man who died when waves tossed his boat near the Bay Bridge, according to media reports.
Troxell said more than 80 trees fell throughout Loudoun County during the storm.
There were no reports of tornadoes in Loudoun County, according to Bryan Jackson, a National Weather Service meteorologist.
“We’re pretty confident this was straight-line winds,” Jackson said.
The storm’s 20-minute siege on Loudoun County was enough to leave almost 10,000 homes without power, according to Dominion Power’s website.
The areas most affected were in the western and northern portions of the county. Sporadic power outages also were reported in the east, according to the website.
By Tuesday, electricity had been restored to most homes.
In the past several years, two other Loudoun County residents have died because of storms.
On Dec. 31, 2009, the Rev. Michael C. Kelly, a pastor at St. Francis de Sales in Purcellville, died after he was struck by a falling tree on Harmony Church Road. Kelly was removing a fallen tree branch from the road when he was hit by another.
In 2007, Jennifer Elizabeth Zilke, 15, died when she was struck by a large section of tree. The Loudoun Valley High School sophomore had just stepped outside her Bluemont home on Foggy Bottom Road on Feb. 14 when wind gusts broke off the limb.
This is such a tragic accident. May God Bless you all. He was so handsome. I have 2 six year old grandsons and I can’t imagine something like this or anything else happening to them. I will keep your family in my prayers.
What a terrible tradegy. Our Community has and needs to continue to Pray to God for the comfort of the entire family that is going through such pain I have no right even to describe. Praying that God comforts them in their time of need is something we all can (need)to do as a community.
Especially those that do not know the family and want to help somehow possible.
Eric is in Heaven now and would be begging his family to know that he is okay… and happy at peace and looking forward to someday being reunited with his entire family. That he will remain in the hearts of all his loved ones until that day they meet in heaven to live forever together comes.
I cannot tell you the heartfelt compassion I and the entire community feels for the family.
God Bless
Poor kid at his young age he did not even enjoy his life. He is too young for his death. Looking through his picture on the post i could see that he is a very happy and jolly kid. And as i was reading the post my tears nearly falls down from my eyes. We could not even predict when or where disasters may occur we should be prepared at all times. I was so sad for Eric.
Tim - Sorry. I completely missed LTM mention of the name and just recalled the name being mentioned in the Post. I realized my mistake after I clicked submit. I wish these forums had an edit feature. :(
Well said Mary Goodson. I couldn’t agree more.
@Alby: FYI—- The child’s name is in the this story. In fact, the LTM had this info before any other newspaper. Why even make that comment about the Post? Seriously.
There is not a dry eye in Loudoun County today, for we have all lost a son. May this little boy, Eric Lawson as reported by the Washington Post, join in the Kingdom of God. Our deepest prayers go out the family.
How incredibly sad for this young family. I can’t even imagine the grief they’re going through. Having someone like “Will I am” make such a disgusting comment makes it even worse. Who cares what the person calls God when they pray, or even IF they pray.
Fortunately, God is bigger than any petty human biases, and His love encompasses everyone one of all Faiths and none. We are all His children, and He loves each and every one of us.
My heart goes out to the family.
This tragedy is beyond my imagination. I pray for the family and their incredible loss of their little boy.
No words can ever be spoken that will penetrate this tragedy. God bless this little soul.
“...however i must say that this article is an outrage in that it spends more time telling us about the storm and barely a paragraph about the actual story. that is very disrespectful to this family.”
Actually, I think that the LTM has been very respectful to the family. The story has been evolving and continuously updated since it was first posted yesterday.
The information was posted as it became available. It would have been very disrespectful had the LTM published the boy’s name and family information before it was officially released.
I am sure that many more details will be forthcoming. But give the family some space right now.
I’m so sorry for your loss. So very sorry. My heart aches for this family and precious boy.
Tragic loss of a young life. This hits home when my 6yo and I were driving home in the storm and she says ” daddy I hope we dont blow away ” My heart hurts for this family and a life cut so short.My prayers and thought are with you….
God bless this precious child and his family. I am so sorry. The storm came and went so fast. This is unbelievable. My heart goes out to the family of this little boy. I’m so sorry.
My family and I were at the park, when this happened. I just wanted to comment on the amazing, fast acting and calm response of the CMRC staff, to assist and help. They were all incredible and did everything they possibly to could to help save this child. My prayers are with this family.
I work with the grandfather of this little boy and am so heartbroken for him and his family. I cannot even begin to imagine the grief that they feel and will continue to feel for the rest of their lives. My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his family.
I work at CMRC however was not working at the time, this news deeply saddens me and i know all the staff there did everything they could to help save this boy. my thoughts go out to his family. however i must say that this article is an outrage in that it spends more time telling us about the storm and barely a paragraph about the actual story. that is very disrespectful to this family.
To Will I am: I hope you are not a Christian!! It is people like you who give religion a bad name!! You should be ashamed for making such a statement. May God bless that family, no matter which God they pray to!
I am deeply saddened by this families tragedy - no words will ever fill their void. Will I am what difference does it make if they are Christian - whether your a Christian or not the pain is just as deep - May God Bless this family in their time of need
we will keep this family in our prayers, I have a 7 year old son i could never imagine if something tragic like this would happen.
Such a tragedy I can’t imagine, having a son of my own that age. Heartfelt thoughts to the family, whether they are christian, muslim, buddhist, or atheist, ideology makes no difference in the sharing of grief & condolences.
This kid died so young, I feel so sorry for him and the parents who have to live with this loss. I will pray for him. I hope he was a Christian.
Please continue to keep your readers informed. My family would like to send its condolences and make any contributions in honor of this little boy and his family. Heartbreaking.
We were in the emergency room when the boy was brought in. It was so tragic the doctors and staff seemed very sad. Then i saw the family walk out in tears hours later. This is so heart breaking.
Can’t even imagine such a loss, especially as the father of a six year old. Please keep on top of this so we can help when we can.
Praying for this precious family.
How very sad. This storm came up so fast and furious. I will keep his family in my prayers.
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