Man recounts terrifying moment he was hit by tree in storm, fracturing his skull
An Ipswich father has recalled the moment he was struck by a tree in Sunday’s storm, leaving him with a fractured skull, eye socket and rib.
QLD News
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Severe thunderstorms across the southeast on Sunday have left an Ipswich man hospitalised with several serious injuries after a tree fell on him in his backyard.
Karalee father TJ Morrison was in the backyard trying to secure his kids trampoline when he asked his wife Kimberley Morrison to go and get some rope.
Calm before the storms as more wild weather predicted for Tuesday
Man seriously hurt, power out until Monday after storm chaos
“While (my wife) was gone a large gust of wind ripped the trampoline out of my hands and tossed it into my neighbour’s yard,” he told The Courier-Mail.
“I guess that same gust snapped the tree in half also as I don’t remember anything else.”
He suffered several serious injuries, including fracturing his skull, eye socket and ribs.
Mr Morrison said while he did not remember the events, he believed the large tree hit his head and shoulder, pinning him to the ground.
“I have a fractured skull which means I’m bleeding out of my ears, fractured eye socket, fractured number 2 rib.
Mr Morrison said his shoulder was also severely injured in the incident, and further scans were being taken.
He was rushed to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in a serious but stable condition around 1pm yesterday.
While he woke feeling “pretty ordinary” today, he said he was grateful for the support from his wife, family and friends.
“It could have been much worse, it was a big tree so I’m very lucky.”
Mr Morrison’s neighbour, father of two Matthew Steiler, was inside when he saw his neighbour trying to grab a trampoline that was being blown through his backyard.
Mr Steiler then saw a huge branch crush his kennel, which had two German Shepherd puppies inside.
He rushed out in the thick of the storm to get them out.
“I just heard screaming and I thought it might have been for the pup and that she was pinned, but she was okay,” Mr Steiler said.
The screams were coming from his neighbour’s wife after she saw the branch fall onto her husband.
“So I jumped the fence and his wife was already down there and she had seen it too because she was inside and I picked him up and got him inside the house,” Mr Steiler said.
“Paramedics couldn’t get through because there were trees down on the Warrego Highway apparently, the main ambulance couldn’t get here so we were waiting longer than we should have but that was no one’s fault.”
