Manly Beach: People injured by branches, cones, falling from iconic Norfolk Island pine trees
Massive branches falling from trees have injured locals and visitors to one of Sydney’s most popular beaches.
Manly
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A man who was injured by large branches and cones falling from Manly’s iconic beachside pine trees has warned others about the dangers.
Alex Laverty was left with severe bruising and abrasions when he was struck across the shoulder and arm by a tree limb about “four car lengths long” while walking under Norfolk Island pines that have become synonymous with the suburb.
Last month a woman was injured when hit by falling branches on the beach promenade near the North Steyne Surf Life Saving Club.
And there have been several accounts on local social community facebook sites of pine cones, some the size of lawn bowls, smashing through the windows of cars parked beneath the trees.
The round, dense, spiny cones can reach up 12cm long and 14cm wide.
Mr Laverty has urged Northern Beaches Council to install warning signs for people to watch out for falling debris.
The council said it was constantly monitoring the trees and its contractors constantly remove dead wood and fallen branches from the tree canopies.
But recent bad weather, with high winds, had snapped off “live” branches, which have been caught in the canopies and then fall when winds are strong.
Mr Laverty, an IT systems engineer, who was working from home, had ducked out for a mid-morning coffee break from his Queenscliff home, about 10am on May 12.
He was just north of the North Steyne surf club when he was hit.
“I was walking along, with my headphones on, listening to music, not really paying attention to what I was doing,” he said on Tuesday.
“I didn’t hear it, or see it coming down, and it just crashed around me.
“One of the branches was about four-car lengths long. I think when it fell, it took a whole lot of other branches with it.
“If that big branch had hit my head, that would have been it, I would have been gone.”
Mr Laverty said the branches hit him on the shoulder, scraped down his arm before striking painfully on his forearm while he was mid stride.
“I was in shock, staggered around, fell on the ground.
“I was rolling around holding my arm. I thought it was broken because I was having a problem moving my fingers.”
He did not have to go to hospital.
Mr Laverty suggested the organisers of the World Surf League (WSL) Sydney Surf Pro Challenger Series, which has just started on Manky beach, should be warned of the potential dangers from falling branches.
“There’s lots of visitors from here and overseas just walking around not knowing what’s going on.
“The council should have a sign saying ‘Be Careful, Branches Falling” and recommend that people walk along the beach instead of the path.”
Mr Laverty said he would not take his two young sons under the trees any more.
Council CEO Ray Brownlee said community safety was its top priority.
“We regularly monitor tree risk and health in highly trafficked areas,” he said.
“We encourage members of the public to report any incidents to Council.”
In December a large Norfolk Island pine, which snapped near the base if its trunk during a ferocious windstorm at Narrabeen, fell on, and killed, Susan Cobham, 71, outside Narrabeen Surf Club.
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