Branch fall victim slowly on the mend

THE executive chef of Kwan Ho restaurant in Wrest Point remains out of work after sustaining serious injuries from a fallen tree branch in Richmond last month.

South Hobart residents Junwei Lu, 47, and his wife Li Wang, 45, were touring the historic town with interstate friends when a large tree branch fell on the couple.

Mr Lu suffered trauma to his head and was knocked to the ground when the gum tree dropped its limb after succumbing to a combination of strong winds and trunk rot.

Mr Lu was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital and later underwent surgery for his back, with two permanent steel rods implanted near his spine. It’s unknown when Mr Lu will be able to return to work.

Ms Wang, who was trapped under the branch, has made a near-complete recovery. And the couple remain thankful their four-year-old daughter was uninjured.

“Junwei is not only suffering from physical trauma, but also now financial stress,” said a friend of the couple. “He was the family’s main source of income.

“He is making a slow recovery. He can stand and lift sparingly, but doesn’t have the strength to return to cheffing, which is a very physically demanding job,” he said.

Mr Lu is a prominent member of the Chinese community in Launceston, where he worked at much-lauded restaurant Me Wah for a decade as executive chef. He also worked briefly in its Sandy Bay counterpart, before heading up Me Wah’s sister restaurant Kwan Ho at Wrest Point.

Clarence City Council has denied responsibility for the incident, instead deferring to the property owner of Czegs’ Cafe, where the tree is situated.

The friend of the couple has called on the council to review its public safety policy, especially in high-traffic pedestrian areas.