Tragic Tree Accident: PR Boss's Life Cut Short

0:00On April 10th, a 49-year-old PR firm boss, named Jen Higgins, lost her life last August 30th during a casual evening walk in West Dizbury. With her husband and another couple, a massive branch from a mature beach tree crashed down right on her, causing fatal chest injuries almost instantly as the inquest revealed. The trees sat in a nearby homeowner's garden and had been poorly pruned 15 to 20 years earlier, leading to hidden decay that turned the wood. No-like tissue paper. A third of its canopy gave way without warning, spanning the road in both sidewalks. Her husband, Gowen, who co-wranned their Northern Quarter PR agency carousel, described the balmy summer night around 7 p.m. when they heard a loud, crack no time to dodge. He walked away with just bruises, but Jen took the full impact. Off-duty medics rushed in with CPR, but she passed on the spot. Jen's and family remembered her as a vibrant journalism grad from Hull University, head-girl from Whirl, and a loving wife of nearly 15 years.

1:03Tree expert Noel Nugent from Manchester Council, inspected and found aggressive fungal decay invisible from the ground, stemming from that bad pruning. Job not polluting, but topping that, weakened the whole structure over years. The homeowner bought the place in February 2020, tried hiring a surgeon for 1,500 pounds, but backed off over conservation worries. In-corner Jennifer Swift, ruled it a tragic accident, noting no tree preservation order required checks, and the decay wasn't obvious. The tree's sense been professionally removed, leaving a heartbroken family and a stark reminder to eye those backyard giants.