A man has died after being hit by a falling branch on Mount Victoria, in Wellington.
Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii
A person has died after being hit by a falling branch in Mount Victoria in Wellington.
High winds have whipped through the capital on Tuesday, which is under a strong wind warning until 8pm this evening.
Police say it was reported to emergency services just before 9.30am that a man had suffered critical injuries on a trail by Lookout Road.
Hataitai resident Kirsten Johnstone told RNZ she came across a man lying unconscious under a tree and called an ambulance.
She said it was clear he’d been hit on the head.
The man was taken to hospital where he died a short time later.
Elsewhere in Wellington, trees were being down by the wind.
Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii
Johnstone said the man’s death was quite a wake up call to the danger falling branches posed.
“It could have been any of us who underestimate the wind,” she said. “I don’t think we knew how windy it was up on the top of the hill, on the north-facing side until we got up there.”
Johnstone said it wasn’t the first time she’d seen the trees in that area pose a risk.
“We’ve seen close calls before, we’ve seen falling branches just miss people and we still underestimate it.”
Johnstone said over she’d summer seen another branch miss a person by only about 30 centimetres.
“I think the City Council needs to be aware of this and keep an eye on branches that are less stable.”
Photo: RNZ/Mark Papalii
Johnstone said her thoughts were also with the man’s family following his death.
RNZ has contacted Wellington City Council for a response.
Meanwhile, in a statement released on Tuesday, the council said it “strongly urged” people to stay out of the capital city’s parks and reserves due to the danger presented by falling trees and branches as gale winds battered the lower North Island.
“Members of the public should stay out of the reserves while strong winds continue.”
The council said motorists and cyclists should also take care on roads due to reports of trees coming down.
It said Zealandia, and Begonia House in the Botanic Garden, had also both been closed today due to safety concerns.
During floods in the South Island in June, Peter Lines was killed by a falling tree.
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