Lucky Cyclone Alfred escape: Gold Coast family dodge giant pine ripped out of ground

A Gold Coast man has described the terrifying moment he dodged a giant pine tree crashing onto his unit balcony in the wild Cyclone Alfred gale. SEE THE VIDEO

A Gold Coaster has recounted the terrifying moment a giant Norfolk pine was ripped out of the ground in Cyclone Alfred’s wild winds before smashing into his balcony.

Broadbeach resident Michael Spurge, who lives opposite the Jewel triple towers in a unit on Old Burleigh Rd, realised the massive pine tree outside his property was about to get pushed over by winds on Friday night.

In dramatic video footage he is heard screaming: “Looks like our tree is about to fall down. It’s coming down, get ready to run, don’t know where to but...”

Screams follow before he is heard saying “where’s the puppy? Grab the puppy. Holy f---, trees down.”

Speaking on Saturday morning, as he assessed the aftermath and lucy escape, Mr Spurge recalled: “I could see that the ground where the roots are was moving. I said to the girls quick get ready to run.”

IN PICTURES: CYCLONE ALFRED UNLEASHES ON GOLD COAST

Old Burleigh Rd resident Michael Spurge with the Norfolk Pine on his unit: “I could see that the ground where the roots are was moving. I said to the girls quick get ready to run.” Picture: Glenn Hampson.

The tree fell onto the family’s unit fence with a bigger section across their neighbour’s pool.

Mr Spurge said he struggled to think what could have happened if it came directly towards his home.

“A couple of metres this way and it would be a very different story,” he said. “It would have been devastating. We were very, very lucky.

“It was horrendous - it’s a wind tunnel through here. It was blowing well over 100km/h for ages.”

It was a close shave too for neighbour Linda Lee - she was watching TV with her husband when the pine tree came crashing down.

“The wind was so loud we didn’t even hear it come down,” Mrs Lee said.

“I came out later to look at the storm and that’s when I saw it right across the pool.

“How it hasn’t caused more damage is a shock to me. It’s amazing, so amazing - we feel lucky to be alive.”

Gold Coast battered by Cyclone Alfred, as it made land. Broadbeach locals Bronwyn David and Jade Keeley came out of their apartment on Old Burleigh Rd to find a giant Norfolk Pine had fallen in their front yard. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

Old Burleigh Rd resident Linda Lee with the Norfolk Pine over her pool: “We feel lucky to be alive.” Picture: Glenn Hampson.