At around 11:45 a.m. CDT on Aug. 21, a large tree branch broke off from a tree on the Peabody Lawn, injuring two first-year students. One student is being treated at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center, while another suffered minor cuts. 

Students in Vanderbilt Visions Group 92 were meeting under the tree when the branch fell, pinning down the student, who is being kept anonymous due to health privacy reasons. The injured students were able to walk immediately following the incident. They declined to comment further.

First-year Enzo Zamudio, the student who suffered minor injuries from the incident, said he heard a loud snap followed by screams and scattering students as the branch fell.

“My back got scratched kinda bad, but I’m fine,” Zamudio said. 

Zamudio added that there was an immediate response by those present to free the anonymous student from under the tree. 

“I feel like everything was handled well, judging everything happened so fast,” Zamudio said.

In a statement emailed to The Hustler, the Office of Student Affairs said the area is being evaluated for any risks, and the health of the student is being monitored. The office declined to comment on the legal implications of the incident. 

“The branch has been removed and groundskeeping is inspecting the tree for any further potential risk,” the statement reads.

Visions Group 92 VUceptor Joe Watson, a junior, said he is unable to comment on the incident and referred The Hustler to Professor Susan Yang, the group’s faculty advisor. Yang declined to comment.