Niagara family ‘lucky to be alive’ after tree falls above bed during ice storm

A family in Crystal Beach says they are “lucky to be alive” after an 18-inch-diametre tree branch fell through the ceiling above their bed while they were sleeping during the ice storm Wednesday night.

Jeff and Robyn Voyce say their two children were also sleeping upstairs when the tree limb plummeted through the roof of their home on Elizabeth Rd. around midnight.

“It sounded like somebody had fallen down the stairs. We just heard a big bang,” Robyn said.

“Once we turned the lights on, there was this huge tree limb right in between us, two feet from our legs.”

The family immediately evacuated and called 911. Jeff also shut off power to the home as there appeared to be exposed wires.

Both Jeff and Robyn have a concussion and are experiencing dizziness. Jeff also has a few minor cuts on his nose but no one else was seriously injured during the incident.

“Thank God that we’re alive…and our children as well,” Jeff said.

READ MORE: Winter storm cancellations for Hamilton, Halton, Niagara regions

He added that there are several old trees in their neighbourhood with X’s on them, indicating the tree must be removed.

“We’re always on high-alert when we get ice storms,” Jeff said.

“We’ve been worried for years about this tree coming down and sure enough, it came right smack down on our house.”