Tree Falls, Kills Camper In Grand County

GRAND COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - A freak accident involving a tree killed by pine beetles has killed a man camping in Grand County.

Andrew Zawatzki, 38, of Aurora was camping with friends last weekend when the tree fell on him in the middle of the night.

Friends sleeping in the tent with Zawatzki heard the tree cracking before it fell. A man pushed his girlfriend out of the way and both were able to escape before the tree fell on Zawatzki, killing him.

The incident happened at the Red Dirt Reservoir near Kremmling.

Grand County is one of many counties in Colorado where as much as 70 percent of the trees in some forested areas have been killed by pine beetles. The dead trees often are still standing and have yet to be cleared.