More tragic news in the circumstances surrounding Eli Marnock’s death.
The two-year-old, who died when a 30-metre gumtree fell on his family’s home in Victoria’s Dandenong Ranges at the weekend, has been identified as Eli Marnock.
The toddler was sleeping in his cot when the tree fell around 9pm on Saturday night. Emergency services rushed to the home but were unable to save the boy, who died in his cot a short time later.
The tree that fell was on council property and had been reported multiple times to the Yarra Ranges Council by Eli’s Grandfather, John Surridge, amidst community concerns for safety, The Herald Sun reports.
Neighbours have expressed their frustration that action, which may have prevented the boy’s death, was not taken sooner.
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Eli’s entire family were in the house when the tree fell – including both his grandparents, his mother and her partner, and his siblings. It took emergency services almost an hour to get four of the family members, who were trapped under the collapsed roof of the family home, to safety.
Eli’s sister Nicola, 5, was also injured by the falling tree and was rushed to the Royal Children’s Hospital to be treated for injuries to her leg, chest and face. She remains in a stable condition and has been moved out of intensive care.