Shocking CCTV footage has captured a life-threatening moment when a dog walker in Bath narrowly escaped being crushed by a huge branch that suddenly fell from a tree.
Yuan Zhang was walking her cockapoo in Locksbrook Cemetery, Lower Weston, on the evening of May 26 when she heard an ominous cracking noise coming from a nearby tree. Recognizing the danger, Yuan immediately picked up her dog and hurriedly left the cemetery—just seconds before the massive branch thundered to the ground right where they had stood.
Yuan told SomersetLive that her decision not to wear headphones that day likely saved her life. “I was almost at the end of the walk when I approached the tree and heard cracking. I knew a branch was about to fall but didn’t expect it to come down immediately after I opened the gate,” she said.
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Initially, Yuan thought a smaller branch might fall. But with her dog close to the tree trunk, she instinctively grabbed her and fled just in time. “Usually, I wear headphones on my walks, but it was raining earlier, so I didn’t have them in. That’s why I heard the noise,” she explained.
The dramatic incident was caught on CCTV cameras at the New Crown Inn pub across the road. The pub’s manager, Charlotte Symonds, described the falling branch’s impact sounds as “like gunshots going off” and called the event “terrifying.” She added that the situation could have been much worse if anyone had been walking beneath the tree at the time.
Charlotte recounted her experience: “After a heavy downpour, around 7:30 pm, I heard noises that sounded like stones being thrown at the window. It got louder and then sounded like gunshots. Several customers noticed it too—it was a very unsettling experience.”
Emergency services responded promptly. An off-duty ambulance crew arrived soon after and coordinated with police, who managed traffic on the busy road until the area was secured approximately 10 minutes later.
Although visibly shaken, Yuan was unharmed. She estimates she was about a meter away from where the branch fell, and fortunately, no cars or pedestrians were underneath at the time. “My dog was terrified, but we are both very lucky,” Yuan said.
Charlotte added that if Yuan had exited the cemetery gate in the opposite direction, she likely would have been struck. “This road is very busy, especially during school run times. The timing of the incident was truly fortunate.”
Councillor Manda Rigby, cabinet member for Communications and Community at Bath and North East Somerset Council, confirmed that the tree was inspected shortly after the event. “Our tree team found structural weakness inside the branch, which wasn’t visible during the last inspection,” she said. Weather conditions—exceptionally hot spells followed by heavy rain—were likely factors contributing to this unforeseen event.
Routine maintenance of trees in Locksbrook Cemetery is scheduled next month, with over 35,000 trees under regular inspection across the council area.
This close call serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of staying alert outdoors and how quick reactions can prevent tragedy.