Google engineer killed by falling tree branch while hiking in Yosemite National Park: ‘Just unimaginable’

Angela Lin, 29, was out with her boyfriend in the Tuolumne Grove area of the park on the afternoon of July 19 when the incident occurred

Angela Lin, 29, was out with her boyfriend in the Tuolumne Grove area of the Yosemite National Park on the afternoon of July 19 when a large branch fell and killed her (Getty Images)

A young software engineer at Google was killed in a “freak accident” after a large branch fell and hit her during a hike in the Yosemite National Park.

Angela Lin, 29, was out with her boyfriend in the Tuolumne Grove area of the park on the afternoon of July 19 when the incident occurred.

“It was just unimaginable that something like this could occur,” her partner, David Hua, told SD Gate. “On such a popular trail, too.”

Hua recalled that several branches had fallen out of the sky, including several smaller ones near to him and a large one that had struck Lin.

Lin was on the ground with a bloody head wound, he said, adding that he had performed CPR on her until a park ranger had arrived. An ambulance was later called but Lin was reportedly already dead.

Lin’s boyfriend, David Hua, said several branches fell near them, with a large one striking his girlfriend (Getty Images)

The Independent has contacted the Yosemite National Park for further information on the incident.

Other details on the incident were scarce, though one individual who claimed to have been present posted on Reddit: “I am a tourist, but was on the scene of an extremely tragic freak accident in the area trying to provide aid, and it has been haunting me.

“I can’t stop thinking about it and can’t find any news articles updating about the situation.”

In posts on Facebook groups the Lin family requested privacy to deal with their grief.

However, Hua says that authorities have not been forthcoming with further information on their investigations – prompting him to reach out to the media.

“We are seeking more information from the park service regarding this incident, especially around trail safety, maintenance and awareness of problematic trees on popular trails, and future prevention of similar incidents,” Hua told SF Gate.

In a statement shared with The Independent, a spokesperson for Google said: "We lost a loved and respected member of our team. We’re very saddened by this tragedy, and our hearts are with their family and loved ones.”