Slidell Family Narrowly Avoids Tragedy After Tree Trimming Mishap

A family in Slidell narrowly avoided tragedy when an accident during a routine tree trimming caused a crane to fall into their home on Wednesday (March 3).

Sean Morrison was home with his wife, their baby daughter, and his mother-in-law in the Palm Lake neighborhood when he heard a crash and noticed a commotion outside.

"Looked out the window, saw people running, and so we figured that something big had happened," he said.

According to WWL-TV, a company was trimming four trees in their backyard when the crane lifting trees over their home tore through the second story of the house. Morrison and his family were downstairs at the time, but his mother-in-law was upstairs. Thankfully, she was not seriously hurt and only had "a little bump," he said.

So how does a routine trimming go wrong? Authorities said that one of the crane's stabilizers malfunctioned and went into the ground, causing the truck to go into the air and the crane into the roof, the news outlet reports.

A spokesperson with St. Tammany Fire Protection District No. 1 said the scene could have been much worse.

"When you pull up and see a crane sitting on top of a home you expect the worst," said public information officer Jason Gaubert.

Despite the damage to his home, Morrison is thankful that he and his family are safe.

"Just another day in paradise man, I don't know," said Morrison. "It's been a wild day but I'm glad nobody was hurt."

Photo: Getty Images