6-year-old girl dies after bizarre accident with badminton racket

A six-year-old girl died when her brother’s badminton racket broke and a piece of it hit her in the skull.

New Jersey native Lucy Morgan was on vacation in Maine with her family on June 1 when the incident – which her father later described as a “freak accident” – occurred, according to a news release from the Maine State Police.

Lucy was playing outside with her siblings, including her 10-year-old brother, who was struck by the noise when she suffered the “accidental” and ultimately fatal injury, police said.

According to Lucy’s father, Jesse Morgan, his family of six – himself, his wife Bethany and their children Silas, Shiloh, Lucy and Atticus – were enjoying a “beautiful” morning at their lakeside vacation home when the incident occurred, he wrote on his blog, New Creation Living.

“We were eating a quick lunch by the lake and the kids decided to try badminton in the front yard,” he wrote. “Bethany and I were relaxing in the back when we heard screaming.”

Authorities later learned that “the aluminum shaft of a badminton racket had come loose from the wooden handle, causing the shaft to hit the girl in the head and pierce her skull,” the press release said.

Emergency responders arrived at the scene of the accident in Limerick, Maine, around 12:00 p.m. local time and took the six-year-old to a medical center in Sanford. She was then transferred to another in Portland.

According to Jesse, Lucy “immediately went to the operating room where part of her skull was removed to relieve pressure and treat her injury.”

“She went into cardiac arrest, they brought her back and completed the surgery,” he wrote on June 2. “In the ICU, we are told there is very little chance of her recovering. She is currently intubated, has no brain function but occasionally breathes on her own. We are praying for a miracle, but our hearts ache with unfathomable pain.”

When Jesse published the post, he asked for prayers for Lucy’s full recovery. “We are holding on,” he wrote, “but we can’t imagine life without Lucy-Goose.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

On June 4, the New Jersey pastor posted another update, writing, “There is a very good chance she will die and meet Jesus within 24 hours.”

“The good news is that she hasn’t been in any pain for the last few days,” he added.

Jesse also used the blog post to share updates on the rest of the Morgan family. “My poor wife is barely eating anything (we put Chick-Fil-A in her mouth),” he wrote. “We are sleeping as best we can and our kids are processing this as best they can.”

The following day, Lucy succumbed to her injuries, according to police and her father.

Green Pond Bible Chapel, where Jesse serves as worship and discipleship pastor, will hold a memorial service for Lucy on June 15. It will also be livestreamed on the church website.

A GoFundMe page for the family had raised over $100,000 as of Saturday afternoon.