Girl Scout killed at Camp Koch identified as Jasper girl

TELL CITY, Ind. —  A morning hike ended in tragedy Monday at the Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana’s Camp Koch.

Eleven-year-old Isabelle Meyer of Jasper was killed and three more people were hospitalized after an uprooted tree fell on them at the camp Monday in Perry County.

Perry County Sheriff Alan Malone and other area officials provided more details about what Malone called a “freak accident” Tuesday morning during a news conference in Tell City.

More:Area Girl Scout dies, 3 others injured after a tree falls on her and others at Camp Koch

The other victims included a 10-year-old girl who was treated and released for a hand injury and two adult women who were seriously injured but believed to be stable as of Tuesday morning.

Meyer was taken to a local hospital with abdominal injuries and later transferred to Evansville’s St. Vincent Hospital. She was pronounced dead in Evansville.

Melinda Garman, 50, of Mount Vernon, Indiana, was taken immediately to an Owensboro, Kentucky, hospital to treat injuries to her head, neck and chest. Judy Kicklighter, 55, of Evansville, suffered pelvic injuries and was transferred from Perry County Memorial Hospital to an Evansville hospital.

Law enforcement has said they do not plan to release the name of the surviving 10-year-old girl, who is from Boonville.

The four victims were hiking a gravel road down a steep hill toward the mess hall when a large tree apparently uprooted and fell, hitting the small group and trapping several of them. They were part of a larger group of hikers, Malone said, but the hikers had spread out, likely because of the steep incline.

People nearby were able to call 911, and Malone said emergency responders were dispatched about 11:30 a.m.

It’s not clear so far why the tree fell.

It was raining when the incident occurred, but Perry County was not under any severe weather alerts at the time, according to county Emergency Management Agency Director Steve Hauser. No one at the scene reported any lightning strike or other event that might have caused the tree to uproot.

Malone was visibly emotional when asked if the hikers could have contributed to the accident, saying it doesn’t appear they did anything wrong.

“These are Girl Scouts,” he said, choking back tears. He paused for several seconds to compose himself. “They were there to have a good time.”

Malone stressed the Sheriff’s Office does not consider this a criminal investigation.

Camp Koch is closed for an undetermined amount of time.

"There is nothing we take more seriously than the safety and well-being of our girls and volunteers," the Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana's statement reads. "During this difficult time, the entire Girl Scout family mourns the loss of one of our girls, and we ask for privacy for the individuals and their families as they grieve and mourn this tragic loss."

Kicklighter is a Purdue University alumna and has volunteered with Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana since 2011, according to her LinkedIn profile. Kicklighter posted on the profile that she started as a resident camp volunteer at Camp Koch in 2014.

Both Garman and Kicklighter have donated to Girl Scouts, according to the organization. Garman is a Ball State University alumna. Information on how long Garman has volunteered with the Girl Scouts was not available Tuesday.

The organization did not respond to a Courier & Press inquiry about any changes coming to the camp in the wake of the accident, stating leaders were still processing the tragedy.

"This has been a tragic experience and we are still processing yesterday’s events," COO Jessica Cottone said. "Our primary focus right now is supporting our volunteers, girls and their families."

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