Boy, 12, recovers after crushed while posing for a photo under a fallen tree which sprang upright

A young boy miraculously survived being crushed by a tree which was uprooted in a storm, before it suddenly sprung back into place – trapping him underneath.

Connor Creagh, 12, had gone to his grandparent’s property near Kingaroy, about three hours north west of Brisbane, to help clean up after the wild weather last year.

He was playing in front of the fallen tree, which his mother deemed safe, when the unbelievable incident unfolded.

‘The kids were playing under a tree that had already fallen, so the root ball was actually in the air,’ Danielle Mills, the boy’s mother told the ABC.  

Connor Creagh had gone to grandparent’s property near Kingaroy, about three hours north west of Brisbane, to help clean up after a storm. He was playing in front of the fallen tree (pictured) when the unbelievable incident unfolded 

The young boy was reunited with the paramedics who saved his life after a tree that had fallen over in a storm suddenly sprung back up

The young boy was reunited with the paramedics who saved his life after a tree that had fallen over in a storm suddenly sprung back up 

Ms Mills remembers hearing a chilling scream and when she looked over she could see her other two children, but not Conner.

‘We just started running as fast as we could. The tree was standing back up and Connor was trapped from the chest down. There’s no words to describe what it’s like to see your child like that. It was the worst feeling I think I’ve ever had in my life,’ she said.

The family managed to free Conner using a tractor and chains to lift the roots and pull the unconscious boy out.

He suffered eight broken ribs, two collapsed lungs, a broken femur, and damage to his heart, but thanks to the quick actions of Lifeflight paramedics he amazingly made a full recovery.

Dr Oskar Larsson, who was on board the LifeFlight rescue helicopter, said he feared the worst when Conner remained unconscious and was having trouble breathing.

The family managed to free the boy in minutes using a tractor and chains to lift the roots and pull the unconscious boy out

The family managed to free the boy in minutes using a tractor and chains to lift the roots and pull the unconscious boy out 

Conner suffered eight broken ribs, two collapsed lungs, a broken femur, and a squashed heart but thanks to the quick actions of Lifeflight paramedics he amazingly made a full recovery

Conner suffered eight broken ribs, two collapsed lungs, a broken femur, and a squashed heart but thanks to the quick actions of Lifeflight paramedics he amazingly made a full recovery 

Dr Oskar Larsson (middle), was the doctor on board the LifeFlight rescue helicopter that was called

Dr Oskar Larsson (middle), was the doctor on board the LifeFlight rescue helicopter that was called 

Once he arrived at the Queensland Children’s Hospital doctors told Ms Mills to expect significant brain injury, but Conner has now made an almost full recovery.  

He had the opportunity to thank the LifeFlight staff in person recently, saying once the rod in his leg comes out and his lungs improve he wants to get back to running.

Kurt Brown, a Queensland arborist, said that while extremely rare, trees popping back up once they have fallen can happen.

‘If you can imagine there’s a lot of compression and tension and, wood being wood, it has that bendy quality,’ he said.

He explained this is why timber is still used in things like diving boards and boats because it has flexibility. 

He said that in certain situations where you cut the tree, for example, the root ball will spring back into the hole in came from – though he added he had never heard of anyone being injured like this before. 

Conner’s mother said she still can’t believe her son survived the ordeal.   

‘It is a miracle that he’s standing here,’ she said. 

Conner, now 12, had the opportunity to thank the LifeFlight staff in person recently, saying once the rod in his leg comes out and his lungs improve he wants to get back to running

Conner, now 12, had the opportunity to thank the LifeFlight staff in person recently, saying once the rod in his leg comes out and his lungs improve he wants to get back to running 

 

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