Tragic Hammock Accident Kills 14-Year-Old Ohio Girl and Her 12-Year-Old Sister

In a tragic accident, sisters Scout, 14, and Chasey Scaravilli, 12, were crushed to death by a collapsed pillar as they were relaxing on a hammock in their backyard in Ohio. Their younger sister made a frantic and heartbreaking call to 911 pleading for help as her parents tried to save their daughters from underneath the pile of bricks.

"My parents are trying to get it off! They're screaming right now. I'm really scared. I need help really bad! Really, really bad!" the girl says on the call.

This kind of accident, where one of the hammock supports gives way, is not unprecedented. Inside Edition spoke to hammock safety experts about how to safely rig up your own hammock. 

"The first thing you wanna do is find sturdy anchors like these trees over here," said Derek Hanson. "Something that's alive and big enough to hold your weight."

He also said to be sure to remove any obstacles from beneath you, and hang the hammock no higher than 18 inches off the ground. 

"The higher you hang your hammock, the greater risk you have to fall," Hanson said. 

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