A California father of four is lucky to be alive after a massive tree branch came crashing down on him while he was cleaning his backyard, leaving him with devastating injuries and fighting for his life.
Ricky Roldan was picking up his children’s toys outside his home in San Jacinto on October 10 when powerful winds suddenly snapped a section of a eucalyptus tree, sending it crashing onto his back.
The fallen section, measuring approximately 20 feet long, pinned Roldan to the ground for several terrifying minutes as his wife desperately tried to free him.
His mother, Alexandra Roldan, told CBS Los Angeles that her son heard something overhead moments before the accident.
“He said he heard something. When he looked up, that’s when it fell on him,” she recalled.
Roldan’s wife, Erica, immediately rushed outside and attempted to lift the enormous piece of tree, but it was too heavy.
Unable to move it, she frantically searched for neighbors who could help. When nobody was available, she returned and somehow managed to raise the fallen section enough for her husband to crawl out.
Erica then called 911 as her seriously injured husband struggled to survive.
Emergency responders rushed Roldan to the hospital, where doctors discovered the extent of his injuries.
According to his mother, he suffered nine broken ribs, five fractured vertebrae, a broken ankle, a severely injured foot, and a fractured pelvis.
The injuries were so serious that he required multiple operations, including emergency heart surgery.
Before one procedure, Roldan reportedly feared he would never see his family again.
“Please take care of my family. I’m not going to make it,” he told his sister, according to his mother.
Despite those terrifying moments, Roldan survived the operations and eventually regained consciousness after spending several days unresponsive.
Doctors now expect him to make a full recovery, although he faces a lengthy and painful rehabilitation.
The accident occurred as powerful winds associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel swept through Riverside County, bringing dangerous conditions to communities across Southern California.
Roldan’s family has since launched an online fundraiser to help cover medical expenses and household bills while he remains unable to work.
Relatives described him as a devoted husband and father who works hard to support his wife and four children.
The family said the sudden accident has created significant financial and emotional challenges, particularly because Roldan is the household’s primary provider.
His mother is also hoping the frightening experience serves as a reminder for homeowners to pay attention to potentially dangerous trees, especially during periods of severe weather.
The incident highlights how quickly powerful winds can turn an ordinary backyard into a dangerous place, even when someone is simply completing everyday chores.
For Alexandra, however, the experience has reinforced an even more personal lesson about how suddenly life can change.
“Life is too short. Let the people you know that you love them,” she told CBS Los Angeles. “Let them know you love them.”
Although her son still faces a difficult road to recovery, his family is grateful that he survived an accident that could easily have ended in tragedy.
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