Puyallup man killed in tree collapse during trick-or-treating event identified
A Puyallup man was at a trick-or-treating event at McKenna Park with his girlfriend and her son when a large tree fell and killed him last weekend.
Nathaniel Heatherly, 31, died from multiple blunt-force injuries Oct. 25 near the 35000 block of state Route 507. His death was listed as an accident, according to the Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office in a news release.
The tree appeared to have cracked in half in a “horrific freak accident” caused by strong winds at 1:02 p.m., The News Tribune reported. The tree fell on six to eight booths, trapping five to seven people and killing Heatherly.
Six people were injured, and three were taken to the hospital with serious injuries. Two people were treated for milder injuries, according to Central Pierce Fire & Rescue.
About 40 to 80 people were attending the event.
Cora Marsh, Heatherly’s girlfriend, told The News Tribune via Facebook Messenger that she, her son and Heatherly went for early trick-or-treating. She and Heatherly were standing under one of the booths while her son was getting candy at another booth.
“I yelled, ‘Run,’ and chased my son to run away, but Nate I don’t think heard me and wasn’t running right [behind] as I had assumed he would,” Marsh said.
Her son later told her he had not heard her yell and only ran because he realized the tree would collapse as the sound was very loud. Marsh said when she and her son were at a safe distance, she checked for Heatherly who was down and bleeding from the head.
“The 1st branch that fell was the one that killed him instantly,” Marsh said.
Marsh said she could not go to him to check immediately for his breathing as a second branch started to fall, so she and her son got out of the way. She said she called 911 but was so panicked that she gave her phone to someone else so they could talk to dispatch.
“After things stopped falling, a guy told me he was most likely gone for good,” Marsh said. “And later a fireman that arrived on scene again told me he was dead.”
Marsh said it did not seem very windy and that day and that her hair was not blowing around. She believes the tree might have been prone to breakage and wishes there was better care for parks and road maintenance.
‘My best friend’
Marsh and Heatherly had dated for almost two years after knowing each other for about a decade. They didn’t like each other when she met him, but slowly became friends. Marsh said Heatherly had one son who was not with them at the trick-or-treating event.
“He was a good boyfriend he was always supportive of me and my best friend since my son was in diapers,” she wrote in her message.
Marsh said Heatherly was always kind to her son and taught him how to play chess.
“He was very creative in the kitchen and loved spicy food and trying new things,” Marsh said.
She added that Heatherly loved going to co-ops and farmer's markets. He loved playing card games, Dungeons & Dragons and video games.
“I’m grateful for the time Nathaniel and I had together. We attended some of my son’s school events and other activities, and we made a conscious effort to plan enjoyable family outings at least monthly. Thanks to Nathaniel’s presence in my life, I was able to achieve far more than I would have alone, and his departure will leave a significant void,” Marsh said.
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 2:56 PM.
