60M TREE KILLS MAN
THE small northern NSW town of Federal is mourning the death of man killed in a freak accident on Wednesday night. Mechanic Phil Dumbrell died when a 60m fig tree fell on to his house during a storm. Friends said Mr Dumbrell was “very well liked”.
THE freak death of a northern NSW man crushed by a tree has hit his small hometown hard.
Phil Dumbrell died when a storm on Wednesday night felled a massive fig tree, smashing his cabin.
The small town of Federal, just west of Byron Bay, was hit by the supercell storms which stretched from Coffs Harbour to north of Brisbane.
Yesterday the massive tree remained the most imposing presence in the yard, almost 60m long with heavy branches stretching from one side of the main residence on the property to the other.
Palm trees that were in its way when it fell were pushed on to the house causing more damage.
Behind the house was the flattened cabin Mr Dumbrell had lived in for the past 16 years.
At 7pm a neighbour called triple-0 after seeing the large fig had crashed into the cabin and on to the home.
NSW Ambulance Service Brunswick Valley duty operations manager Scott Acton said two crews were sent to the rural property high in the mountains.
The Westpac Helicopter was scrambled from Lismore in case anyone injured needed to get to a hospital urgently.
Ambulances would not have been able to access the property if it had not been for local residents clearing fallen trees with chainsaws.
“When they got there it took them a while to locate the man,” Mr Acton said. “Once they did they established the man was already deceased.”
Maria Timmermans had known Mr Dumbrell for 16 years when he moved north from Sydney.
“He hasn’t actually been a well man,” she said. “But he was very well known in Federal and very well liked.”
She said he was a motor mechanic.
“He was very helpful and would help people, using his trade, when he was able to,” she said.
A Federal resident who didn’t wish to be named said Mr Dumbrell was a nice man who everybody liked. “He was in a lot of pain so I just hope it happened quickly,” he said.