DERRY, N.H. (WHDH) - A nightmare turned into a miracle in the midst of intense winter weather Tuesday when a six-year-old Derry, New Hampshire girl walked away with little more than a bump on her head after a tree fell on top of her.
The incident happened on Tuesday afternoon shortly before 2 p.m. when the girl’s mother, Brianna, said she had just finished clearing snow.
While Brianna was mostly hit by branches, her daughter, Leah, was trapped under the tree’s heavy, waterlogged trunk.
“She was calm — I was hysterical — but she was calm,” Brianna said.
It ultimately took a team of firefighters and police with shovels and chainsaws to get her free. Eventually, officials resorted to their bare hands to dig Leah out.
The Derry Fire Department said in a statement Tuesday that it took about 19 minutes to free Leah.
Both Brianna and Leah then went to the hospital to get checked out after their scare. The two were back home by dinner time.
Though the tree also smashed a couple of the family’s cars, Brianna said she wasn’t concerned.
“[A]s long as she’s alive, I don’t care,” she said.
The family thanked first responders on Tuesday. They added that they’ve learned their lesson about being outside in these conditions and hope others learn from their experience.
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