Couple narrowly escape death
PA' Invercargill A Gore couple escaped death by inches when a large willow branch fell on the tent they were sleeping in near Cromwell on Saturday morning.
Bruce and Mary Laird and their two children were camping at the Riverbank camp at Bannockburn when in the early hours of the morning Mrs Laird heard “an almighty noise” and felt a crushing weight on her chest and stomach.
The 80-year-old willow tree the Lairds had pitched their tent under had split open and a 60cm thick branch crashed down' on their tent, pinning Mrs Laird and her husband as they slept. ' Tony, aged six, and Melissa, aged three, who
were in another part of j the tent, were not touched by the tree, and slept through the’ whole incident, Mrs Laird said yesterday. . - •• Although the branch had also fallen on Mr Laird he was able to crawl out from beneath it and get opt of the remains of the tent Mrs Laird was able to crawl out after their inflatable bed was deflated.
The Lairds were saved from serious injury by objects inside their tent and a trailer breaking the fall of the branch.
A heavy wooden chest was smashed by the branch and a petrol can and goldmining gear under the trailer was jammed 15cm into the ground.
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Press, 27 January 1986, Page 8
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222Couple narrowly escape death Press, 27 January 1986, Page 8
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