{"id":2422574,"date":"2025-04-11T13:22:01","date_gmt":"2025-04-11T17:22:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alabama-student-killed-in-hammock-camping-disaster\/"},"modified":"2025-04-11T13:23:58","modified_gmt":"2025-04-11T17:23:58","slug":"alabama-student-killed-in-hammock-camping-disaster","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/alabama-student-killed-in-hammock-camping-disaster\/","title":{"rendered":"Alabama Student Killed in Hammock Camping Disaster"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">14<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Falabama-student-killed-in-hammock-camping-disaster%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2422574&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\">tragic camping accident claimed<\/a> the life of 22-year-old Malachi Crain, a senior at the University of Alabama, on April 5.While camping in Georgia with friends, a tree fell on Crain&#8217;s hammock as they slept, resulting in his death. One other camper sustained minor injuries. Crain was known for his active involvement in his church and was loved by peers and faculty alike. Father Tom Ackerman praised him for living a life full of love and service. The Bama Catholic community described him as the Vice President of Liturgy and noted his dedication to mentoring others. the accident highlights the dangers associated with hammock camping, especially regarding tree stability. Crain\u2019s funeral was held in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (REP_0)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>A student at the University of Alabama was killed in a camping accident, leaving the campus in a state of shock.<\/p>\n<p>The 22-year-old senior, Malachi Crain, was a math and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/womens-college-in-california-closing-down-becoming-institute-amid-economic-downturn\/\" title=\"Women\u2019s College In California Closing Down, Becoming Institute Amid Economic Downturn\">computer science major<\/a> before his death on April 5. At the time of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/beloved-pastor-lauded-giving-life-save-woman-loved-horrific-accident\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">accident<\/a>, Crain was in neighboring Georgia, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wbrc.com\/2025\/04\/08\/university-alabama-st-francis-assisi-catholic-church-grieve-over-loss-student-friend\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">WBRC<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Crain and his friends were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/ap-oregon-city-heart-high-court-homelessness-ruling-blocked-enforcing-camping-ban\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">camping<\/a> in hammocks when the deadly disaster struck.<\/p>\n<p>Crain and his three friends, all in separate hammocks, were asleep when a tree came crashing down on the group. While Crain was killed, only one other camper was &ldquo;slightly injured.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/biden-urged-afghan-president-to-change-perception-of-fight-against-taliban\/\" title=\"Biden Urged Afghan President To \u2018Change Perception\u2019 of Fight Against Taliban\">fall happened<\/a> just after 2 a.m.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What I tell people is the fullness of life is not measured by the length of years but the love they lived their life with,&rdquo; Father Tom Ackerman of the St. Francis of Assisi university parish, told WBRC.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;By that measure Malachi lived a full life.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Ackerman explained that Crain was active in student church life, often taking lead roles in important matters.<\/p>\n<p>He said it was &ldquo;obvious&rdquo; that Crain <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/rookie-qb-praises-god-live-tv-epic-overtime-playoff-win\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">greatly loved God<\/a>, his family, and his fellow students.<\/p>\n<p>The Bama Catholic community announced the student&rsquo;s death in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/bamacatholic\/posts\/pfbid027dJeydnLF8QujArFpVaMdtRV7dSMxAufA2xVwQ2uzvC2WwkqrNzeGBZUC8wBpLmKl\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a post<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He was the Vice President of Liturgy for 2024 and was known for his love of altar serving,&rdquo; the post stated.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;He led a bible study and was discipling other men in our community for over two years.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Camper killed by tree falling on his hammock was University of Alabama senior on trip with Catholic ministry members <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/SDQapkXAmI\">https:\/\/t.co\/SDQapkXAmI<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/Zdb0g0DShO\">pic.twitter.com\/Zdb0g0DShO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; New York Post (@nypost) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/nypost\/status\/1910030704286507362?\">April 9, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Hammock <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/police-make-tragic-announcement-four-teens-die-camping-trip\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">camping<\/a> carries all the dangers of camping in a tent, with a few added considerations, as well.<\/p>\n<p>Trees, which hold all the force of a hammock in use, can come toppling down if diseased or shallowly rooted. Dead or rotting trees also present a deadly hazard if used as an anchor.<\/p>\n<p>Even solid trees can present deadly problems.<\/p>\n<p>One danger, more frequently talked about in the forestry industry, is the fatal widowmaker. These can be branches, snapped crowns of trees, or other hazards lodged in the limbs of a tree. While many appear stuck fast, even a slight wind can push them into a deadly downward fall.<\/p>\n<p>According to law firm Plevin &amp; Gallucci, hammock accidents are not exactly uncommon.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In 2017, a Massachusetts woman sued ENO when one of the hammock&rsquo;s supports, a brick chimney, collapsed on her leaving her paralyzed,&rdquo; the firm wrote in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.plevinandgallucci.com\/hammocks-are-more-dangerous-than-you-think-heres-why\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a post about the dangers of hammocks<\/a>. &ldquo;ENO was sued under similar circumstances in May 2016 when a 13-year-old Iowa girl died after a brick column bearing the weight of the hammock fell on top of her.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;In two additional instances during the spring of 2016, a Connecticut girl and an Arkansas woman died when the trees to which their hammocks were attached collapsed. On May 21, 2017, another victim, a 15-year-old Georgia girl, was killed in the same manner.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Crain&rsquo;s funeral was held in his native Greenville, South Carolina, on Thursday.<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A University of Alabama student tragically died in a camping accident, shocking the campus community. Malachi Crain, a 22-year-old senior majoring in math and computer science, passed away on April 5 while camping in Georgia. He and his friends were asleep in separate hammocks when a tree fell on them. While Crain lost his life, one other camper sustained minor injuries. The incident occurred shortly after 2 a.m. Father Tom Ackerman from the St. Francis of Assisi university parish remarked that Crain lived a full life filled with love for God, family, and friends. The Bama Catholic community shared that he was the Vice President of Liturgy for 2024 and actively led bible studies for over two years. Hammock camping poses risks similar to tent camping but includes additional dangers from trees that may be unstable or diseased; past incidents have resulted in fatalities due to falling trees or branches during hammock use. Crain&#8217;s funeral took place in his hometown of Greenville, South Carolina<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2422575,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Malachi-Crain.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[8151,50871,25092,5135,13242],"class_list":["post-2422574","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-accident","tag-alabama-2","tag-camping","tag-student","tag-tragedy"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Malachi-Crain.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2422574","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2422574"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2422574\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2422578,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2422574\/revisions\/2422578"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2422575"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2422574"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2422574"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2422574"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}