Not if the tree falls his way. The 8-ft section pivots on a hinge 4 ft above the ground, so its tip lands about 7 to 8 ft out. The boy sits at 6 ft, inside that arc. Whether he gets hit depends on the fall direction.
Tip reach on the ground = √(8² − 4²) = 6.93 ft along the centerline, ≈ 7.8 ft with trunk and hinge width
Drag sideways to orbit · dots = where log tips landed
Press “Drop one tree” to animate a single random fall.
Outcome by fall direction
Shaded bands show what a fall at each angle hits if the hinge holds. The curve is how likely each direction is under your settings.
Head or torsoLower bodyFall-direction likelihood
–chance the boy is struck, from 5,000 simulated falls
Head or torso (life-threatening)–Lower body only (pinned, fractures)–Clear–
Danger cone, hinge holds
–
Minimum safe distance, straight fall
–
Median impact energy when struck
–
Log weight (green hardwood)
–
Scenario
0° = straight at the boy. The picture shows the notch facing him.
Wind, uneven hinge, hidden lean. A pro cut is ±5°; an axe job, ±15–25°.
If the hinge tears, the butt slides off the stump and the log drops flat.
How the model works
The cut section is a rigid 8-ft log hinged at the stump's edge, 4 ft up. It swings until its tip meets the ground about 25° below level.
Each run draws a fall direction from a bell curve around your bias, then sweeps the log through 48 positions and checks contact with the child.
The seated child (about 2.3 ft tall) is modeled as capsules for head, torso, hips and crossed legs.
A failed hinge drops the log flat, landing between 1.2 ft behind and 0.8 ft ahead of the stump edge, with a few degrees of skew.
Impact energy is the log's kinetic energy at first contact, using 60 lb/ft³ for green hardwood.
Standard felling practice keeps bystanders at least two tree lengths away. Here that is 16 ft or more.