‘A miracle that we’re all alive’: Family of five rescued after massive tree crushes vehicle

Five people, including a pregnant woman, are counting their blessings after nearly being crushed by a huge tree on Vancouver’s west side Friday.

Around 5:30 p.m., branches and debris came crashing down on four vehicles on West 27th Avenue at Oak Street, including one with a family inside.

Davina Milton and four family members had just parked on the street to visit friends, when they were ambushed by nature.

“We pulled up over here and I heard a few cracks coming from the tree and before we could do anything the whole tree just came down on our car,” Milton told Global News Friday.

Shlomo Gabay witnessed the impact and called 911 when he realized his dinner guests were trapped by the fallen tree.

“The whole thing came crashing down,” Gabay said. “These two trees actually intertwine and suddenly I heard this major crash and this whole thing came tumbling down.”

“We couldn’t get out, like all the windows were covered with trees, like we couldn’t move at all,” said Milton.

Confined by foliage, Milton and her family – including her pregnant sister-in-law – felt claustrophobic as they awaited rescuers.

“Knowing you’re trapped and you can’t go anywhere it’s really freaky,” recalled Milton.

First responders arrived quickly and firefighters used chainsaws to remove some of the downed debris covering their vehicle before cutting out the vehicle’s front windshield in order to safely extricate the family of five.

Asst. Chief Ken Gemmill of Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services said his members told the survivors to go out and buy a lottery ticket.

“Thank god like everything, the baby everything’s OK,” said Milton. “It’s a miracle that were all alive and like literally no one is hurt.”

The Vancouver Park Board said staff will be looking at the site and the tree to determine why it snapped without warning.

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