A 53-year-old California woman, Adela Magaña, was celebrating her son’s 13th birthday at a local Golf N’ Stuff. Suddenly, a tree fell on her, and the freak accident cost her her arm.
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As reported by the VC Star, the incident occurred on the evening of August 6. At around 5:51 p.m., the Ventura City Fire Department responded to the Golf N’ Stuff to assist Magaña, who had suffered a freak accident involving a tree.
At the time, Magaña, her husband, and her two sons had arrived at the venue just 20 minutes later. They were celebrating the 13th birthday of Damian, Magaña’s son, by doing his favorite activity: mini golf.
“We were trying to make his birthday a little bit better because it was mid-week, and we didn’t know what to do,” Junior, Magaña’s 22-year-old son, told the outlet. “We thought of something fast: play mini golf and then go have dinner afterward. But we never got to dinner.”
However, as Magaña was sitting on a bench, things went terribly wrong.
“I was going to go look for the ball, and by that time, I heard a screeching sound — like a branch breaking,” Junior added. “I thought nothing of it, but then I heard a big old thump, and people were running toward my mom.”
Amputation
A palm tree fell on top of Adela Magaña, and once first responders arrived, she was transported to a local hospital. There, doctors attempted to save the arm, but the injuries she suffered were too serious to handle. They had to amputate it just below the shoulder on August 7.
She will now have to undergo more surgeries and rehabilitation to be able to use a prosthetic.
Magaña’s daughter, Nancy, called her mother a “very strong woman.”
“She’s not able to talk, but she’s able to nod her head,” Nancy added. “She has a long journey ahead of her.”
In a statement shared with PEOPLE, Golf N’ Stuff General Manager Kevin Martin said that the course had been shut down until they consult with an arborist.
“Through this recent event we were reminded how unpredictable and unforgiving Mother Nature can be at times,” Martin said. “Rather than simply be humbled by her unpredictability, we aim to be proactive moving forward to ensure safety for all.”
“Our thoughts and prayers are with Mrs. Magaña and her family. Updates have told us that she has been a warrior in her recovery.”