Wilmington Outdoor Recreation Club Death Spurs Lawsuit
On April 22, 2017, Jerry Cole was killed in an accident involving a large tree that was being cut down by volunteer helpers at the Outdoor Club in Wilmington. According to a new wrongful death lawsuit filed this week at the Will County Courthouse by Joliet law firm Rathbun, Cservenyak and Kozol, this death was not an accident, it was an act of negligence by members of the Outdoor Club.
The Outdoor Club is located at 32152 Southwest Frontage Road in Wilmington. According to the court filing, the club exists to provide outdoor recreation such as picnicking, swimming, camping, boating, skiing, hunting, trapping, fishing, etc. for members and their guests.
In 2017, the Outdoor Club recruited Cole and other volunteers to clear trees and brush from its sites in preparation for the upcoming camping season, the lawsuit explains.
According to the Joliet Patch, on the day Jerry Cole was killed, "Jerry Cole was a bystander watching two other Outdoor Club members, Mr. William Darnio and Mr. Perry Helton, who were actively attempting to remove a large tree located on Lot 14 of the Outdoor Club's grounds," the plaintiffs said.
"Mr. Darino was using the power of his pickup truck to pull the large tree and Mr. Helton was cutting it. The tree snapped off and instead fell onto Jerry Cole, striking him in the back of his head and killing him," Rathbun, Cservenyak & Kozol informed the court. The Will County Coroner's Office determined that Cole died from multiple injuries caused by the falling tree.
The wrongful death lawsuit was brought by Cole's wife, Shirley Cole. Her husband Jerry Cole was a member of the Outdoor Club and he was in good standing, the law firm noted.
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