They're four good friends who regularly get together to play a friendly game of tennis. And if it wasn't for some good luck and quick reflexes, it might have been game over for all of them.
The ladies were lobbing the ball back and forth at a court in Alexander Muir Park near
Chatsworth and Yonge Monday afternoon, when they heard a noise. At first none of them was sure where it was coming from. "We were in the middle of a point and she and I were on the baseline waiting to receive the serve," recalls Myra Devonshire, pointing to her partner. "We heard this crack, like a gunshot or fireworks."
But it wasn't either one of those. Instead, the sound of the commotion was a huge tree that stood right near the spot where they were playing. It slowly toppled and came to rest on the court, inches from where they'd been standing. But the spry women were able to get out of the way because the tree that fell in this urban forest did make a sound - and somehow, it didn't plunge in a hurry.
The women scattered in all directions as the huge branches came crashing down around them. But while the giant trunk may have seemed to be heading straight for her, Devonshire reveals what actually allowed them all to escape serious injury - or worse. "There's this enormous tree coming down slooowly," she draws out the word.
The women were trapped inside the tennis court for a time, because the giant tree was blocking the exit. A crew arrived quickly to begin chopping up the remnants and clearing the mess away.
The women maintained their sense of humour, despite the near miss. "I thought it was my great serve and then the tree came on to the court and then I ran and dialed 911," Janet Blair relates.
"To think a tennis match could end in a death," marvels Annette Bajer of her good fortune.
Gertie Weiss calls it "so sudden and so fast," but now laughs at the danger.
And just to show you how plucky these four are, they made a point of staying behind and finishing the match on another court.
No one was injured, but a car that was left near the court was crushed under the weight of the giant tree. It's not likely the owner will get much sympathy from police or the insurance company. It sat straight under a clearly posted sign that read "no parking."
The city has about 3 million trees in its care. The one in question tumbled because of decay at the roots. The city says it's the first tree in at least a couple years to topple without warning.
"It's quite unusual. This tree for all intents and purposes, it looked perfectly healthy," said the City of Toronto's Richard Ubbens.
To find out what you can do if you suspect a tree on your property is dangerous,
click here.