Dads dodge death as 40-foot tree crashes down on backyard fire pit

POWHATAN COUNTY, Va. (WTVR) - Two Virginia fathers are lucky to be alive after a 40-foot tree came crashing down on their backyard fire pit, right where they had been sitting moments earlier.

Friends Chris Johannsen and Chad Day are still processing their Friday night near-death experience by the fire pit. Security video shows both men dive over a garden wall as a 40-foot tree came crashing down.

“So many things went right, and things could’ve gone so wrong,” Johannsen said.

Before the tree fell, their families were enjoying a pleasant evening at Johannsen’s home. The two fathers were setting up to make s’mores for their children when they heard a noise they couldn’t quite pinpoint.

“I heard the sound, and that’s what cued me to look over. It sounded like a bear was coming through the woods it was so loud,” Johannsen said. “And I just see this white tarp lift out of the ground, and it just hit me: ‘This tree is falling.’”

Day says Johannsen’s realization that the “white tarp” was a root ball and the tree was falling saved both of their lives. The fathers leapt out of the way just in time, with Day accidentally landing on Johannsen.

“You get up, and you’re like ‘Did that really just happen?’” Johannsen said.

While the friends can laugh about the incident now, in the moments immediately after Friday night’s fall, they felt scared, then relieved and then thankful.

“My legs would’ve got crushed, and then, this 30-pound cinderblock came off and landed right where my face was,” Day said.

“Just out of this world how delicate life is and the next day is not always guaranteed,” Johanssen said.

The two fathers say someone must have been looking out for them.

“My dad said, ‘Your mom’s looking out after you.’ So, I truly think my mom was looking out after me. It’s not fun having the tree fall over, but it went as good as it could have,” Johanssen said.

Though Johanssen and Day’s children were, understandably, scared by the incident, their fathers are just glad they weren’t outside when the tree fell.

“The fact that we got to hear their voices again is enough for me,” Day said.

“What ifs, what ifs, what ifs. If the wind was blowing, we wouldn’t have heard the roots cracking and coming up. If we were playing music, we wouldn’t have heard it. Had the kids been outside playing and being loud as kids are, we might not have heard it, and then, all of us got crushed,” Johanssen said.

The fathers aren’t sure why the tree fell. Johanssen says it was healthy and seemed fine before the incident. There was rain earlier in the day but no storm at the time. They’re urging everyone who might have a tree near their home that looks suspect to have it inspected.

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