Kent girl, eight, killed by falling tree branch that injured her sister is pictured

An eight-year-old girl who was killed by a falling tree branch that left her sister needing life-saving brain surgery has been pictured.

Maisy Mayne died from severe head trauma in the freak accident and her sister Isla also had to be airlifted to hospital.

Emergency services rushed to the public footpath on the edge of a remote crop field shortly after 12pm on August 21 in Bobbing, near Sittingbourne, Kent.

But Maisy was pronounced dead at the scene after an air ambulance landed nearby.

A fundraising page set up on funeralguide.com said: ‘In loving memory of Maisy Elizabeth Susan Mayne who was tragically taken on August 21, 2020, aged 8 years.

‘Our Maisy, our beautiful girl and amazing big sister to William and Isla.

‘We will miss you so, so much darling xxxx

‘We have set up these charities to donate to because the Kings hospital saved Isla’s life after needing brain surgery from this tragic accident.’

It added: ‘The air ambulance for treating her at the scene and getting her to the hospital.

‘The Rhys Daniels charity have given us a place to stay right by the hospital so we can be with Isla whilst she recovers.

‘All of these are amazing charities and without them we’d have lost both our girls x Thank you’

So far at least £5,400 has been raised for the charities on the page. An inquest into Maisy’s death was opened at County Hall in Maidstone last week.

She said the primary school pupil from Sittingbourne suffered a ‘traumatic head injury when a tree branch fell on her’ and gave the cause of death as ‘severe head trauma’.

An uncle paid tribute to her in a floral tribute left by the collapsed tree, with a note attached to a bouquet.

It said: ‘To my beautiful niece, I love you. May you rest in peace. Love your uncle and beautiful cousins.’

A white teddy bear was also later tied to a fence post in Maisy’s memory. A second child was also airlifted to King’s College Hospital in London with serious injuries.

A witness described a woman running towards her pleading for help in a desperate bid to save the children.

She said: ‘I heard this woman shouting as she came running across the field with no shoes on so I walked over.

‘She rushed towards me and was screaming for anyone to help. The woman started crying and said her niece had just been hit by a tree.

‘I asked her if she was alright. She seemed very, very panicked. As I walked up and down trying to help her, at least 15 emergency service vehicles came flying past me.’

A neighbour, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: ‘When I saw the air ambulance was there for almost two hours, I knew it was either too late or something serious.

‘I say hello when I pass the family involved and they seem like really nice people. I hope the other child will pull through.’

Councillor Corrie Woodford, who represents the Bobbing, Iwade and Lower Halstow ward on Swale Borough Council, said: ‘My condolences go out to everybody involved.

‘It’s so heartbreaking for the family and friends and they are all in my thoughts.’

The inquest was adjourned until November 17 in Maidstone.