Huge tree branch falls at Kensington Gardens Reserve after similar near miss days earlier

A massive gum tree branch has dropped on a popular walking track in Adelaide’s east – while another one has fallen in a carpark in Port Augusta.

Another massive tree branch has fallen in SA, the second on Wednesday and at least the fifth in a week.

In the latest fall, a huge gum branch fell at the Wadlata Outback Centre carpark, narrowly missing the centre.

It comes after a huge branch dropped on a walking track in Adelaide’s east – just days after a young woman narrowly escaped a branch fall in the same area in Kensington.

Kim Quinn, a Port Augusta resident, said in her 18 years in the area she had witnessed “a lot of those trees” fall down near the Wadlata Outback Centre.

“They’ve had trees in Wadlata that have fallen and crushed camper cars,” she said

“We understand that these things happen … (But) I don’t actually know when they’re getting checked or if they are getting checked properly because they keep dropping down.”

A gum tree drops a large limb in Port Augusta. Picture: Kim Quinn

In the wake of last week’s horror incident where a tree crushed a 22-year-old woman to death on the Adelaide Uni Loop, Ms Quinn called on the council to take further action.

A gum tree drops a large limb in Port Augusta. Picture: Kim Quinn

“I want to know, is someone going to come and check that tree now?” she asked.

“They have removed one whole tree but the really, really big one that dropped today is the one right over our workshop.”

As the owner of Quinn Funerals, a family-owned funeral home in Port Augusta, Ms Quinn said she paid more attention than most.

“In the funeral industry you’re aware of it more than other people,” she said.

“On windy days we don’t even walk down our driveway. We can’t even wash our cars. We don’t ever go outside when it’s windy.”

Ms Quinn said she has been complaining for years about the “constantly” dropping tree branches.

“If that drops on my shed that would take out staff, mortuary, and stock. (I am) desperate to have it removed.”

Earlier, a huge limb crashed down shortly before dawn on Wednesday on a walking track at Kensington Gardens Reserve used by walkers, joggers, pram pushers and dog walkers.

Burnside Council workers arrived just before 7am as morning dog walkers and joggers converged at the site expressing their relief they had not been walking under it when it fell.

The workers’ initial reaction was to check no one was under the massive branch and the extensive foliage.

A massive gum tree branch has fallen at Kensington Gardens Reserve. Picture: Brad Crouch

The gum tree shades a bench overlooking the cricket ground facing the Kensington District Cricket Club’s clubhouse – whose roll call of famous players include Sir Donald Bradman – and is one of many majestic old gum trees in the vicinity providing homes for native wildlife.

It comes just days after a young woman narrowly escaped the fall of a huge gum tree several hundred metres away on Cuthero Terrace in Kensington Gardens.

Eva Zafiropoulos, 20, was walking on Monday about 6pm when she suddenly heard a crunching” noise that forced her to make a sideways dash.

Ms Zafiropoulos said it was fortunate she was not wearing both her earphones, which allowed her to hear the sound.

“I had walked a little down my street, less than a minute away from my house I think, and I just wanted to follow my regular walking route,” she said.

“I had one headphone in, thankfully, because I was choosing a song or something and then I heard a crunching sound.

“I turned around and I kind of like jolted and ran a little to the end of the street because I felt like that sound didn’t sound good at all.

“Then the whole branch fell down and hit the car and I honestly felt the ground shake a little bit.”

A young woman has narrowly escaped the fall of a huge gum tree in Kensington Gardens. Source: Eva Zafiropoulos

The tree branch that fell in Kensington Gardens. Source: Eva Zafiropoulos

It damaged a car. Source: Eva Zafiropoulos

Ms Zafiropoulos said she was in shock after it happened and was frozen looking back at the tree.

Witnesses and neighbours approached Ms Zafiropoulos to make sure she was safe.

“It was crazy and the lady across the road she actually came out and told me she got that tree checked by the council a couple of months ago,” Ms Zafiropoulos said.

“She was shocked it happened because she was told it was safe.”

Emergency services attended the scene to clear the blocked road – which took about an hour.

The clean up following the branch fall. Source: Eva Zafiropoulos

The road was closed for about one hour. Source: Eva Zafiropoulos

In a statement to The Advertiser, City of Burnside council said the trees are inspected every four years, reviewing “42,459 street and reserve trees”.

“Council conducts regular audits of street and urban park trees … (but) healthy mature trees of all species can drop branches in response to hot and dry weather without warning.

“With the recent summer heat that has passed throughout South Australia we are seeing trees across the state responding by dropping branches.”

It comes after Alifia Soeryo, 22, was killed by a falling tree in Park 10 on War Memorial Dr in North Adelaide on February 7.

The large tree branch suddenly snapped off and fell on top of the University of Adelaide student about 2.30pm.

Emergency services rushed to the scene but it was too late for Ms Soeryo.

Meanwhile, two people have narrowly avoided disaster after a huge gum tree came crashing down on their houseboat in the Murray River.

Just after 4pm on Tuesday, SES marine rescue crews were deployed to Renmark North after a bystander reported the accident.

7NEWS reported the boat was about 700m from the ramp and two occupants were brought back safely to shore.

Ambulance crews treated them for minor injuries and they were discharged at the scene.