A student at the University of Alabama was killed in a camping accident, leaving the campus in a state of shock.
The 22-year-old senior, Malachi Crain, was a math and computer science major before his death on April 5. At the time of the accident, Crain was in neighboring Georgia, according to WBRC.
Crain and his friends were camping in hammocks when the deadly disaster struck.
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 “slightly injured.”
The fall happened just after 2 a.m.
“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,” Father Tom Ackerman of the St. Francis of Assisi university parish, told WBRC.
“By that measure Malachi lived a full life.”
Ackerman explained that Crain was active in student church life, often taking lead roles in important matters.
He said it was “obvious” that Crain greatly loved God, his family, and his fellow students.
The Bama Catholic community announced the student’s death in a Facebook post.
“He was the Vice President of Liturgy for 2024 and was known for his love of altar serving,” the post stated.
“He led a bible study and was discipling other men in our community for over two years.”
Camper killed by tree falling on his hammock was University of Alabama senior on trip with Catholic ministry members https://t.co/SDQapkXAmI pic.twitter.com/Zdb0g0DShO
— New York Post (@nypost) April 9, 2025
Hammock camping carries all the dangers of camping in a tent, with a few added considerations, as well.
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.
Even solid trees can present deadly problems.
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.
According to law firm Plevin & Gallucci, hammock accidents are not exactly uncommon.
“In 2017, a Massachusetts woman sued ENO when one of the hammock’s supports, a brick chimney, collapsed on her leaving her paralyzed,” the firm wrote in a post about the dangers of hammocks. “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.”
“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.”
Crain’s funeral was held in his native Greenville, South Carolina, on Thursday.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
