Massage therapist and 79-year-old client escaped death after tree smashed through her Sawyers Valley home

A massage therapist and her 79-year-old client narrowly escaped death after a huge tree ploughed into her Sawyers Valley home during the severe thunderstorm that hammered the Perth Hills on Tuesday. Sarah Teague, who works as an at-home-masseuse in Sawyers Valley, was giving a massage to one of her regular clients on Tuesday afternoon about 1.30pm when a massive tree ploughed through her roof in a moment she describes as “harrowing”. “I had heard the storm banging against my windows but didn’t think anything of it,” the 55-year-old said. “But I began to suspect something was up when the lights began to flash, and I began to hear different noises.” Ms Teague said “within seconds”, a tree next to her house came crashing down through her roof and into her living room — in the exact spot where she giving a massage to her elderly client, who was lying face up on the massage table. “Looking back at it now, I can’t believe how I got out of there,” she said. “If the tree had fallen one bit over (onto us), we would’ve both been dead.” In a moment she described as “instinct”, Ms Teague managed to pull not only herself out of the rubble, but her client too. The 79-year-old man had suffered a serious head wound from one of the roof beams collapsing on top of him. “I was freaking out, thinking ‘has it stopped, are more going to fall down?” she said. “Meanwhile I realised (my client) had a massive gash on his head and the skin had just flopped out, bleeding everywhere.” Ms Teague managed to escape the house with the severely injured man and her dog Charlie before attempting to get to the nearest hospital. But it proved a difficult mission due to the severity of the storm. “The main road leaving the house was covered in debris and fallen down trees,” she said. “There was nowhere to go, so we had to turn back and find a different route.” The pair finally arrived at St John of God Midland Hospital and were immediately treated for their injuries. “Thankfully, I didn’t face any serious injuries. I have a few lumps on my head and a horrible chest pain, but no internal damage,” Ms Teague said. The massage therapist said she understood her client was still undergoing treatment and is set to be transported to Royal Perth Hospital for skin grafting for his head injury. Walking through what remained of her home on Wednesday afternoon, Ms Teague said the whole situation “feels so surreal”. “I’m so glad we’re both alive...but I can’t believe we are,” she said. Ms Teague said she is trying to remain in high spirits despite the difficult circumstances — it’s just her and her 16-year-old son, who she provides for with the income from her massage business. “I’m trying not to think too much about it, otherwise I just stress myself out,” she said. “But I not only have to find a new rental during a housing crisis for myself and my son but my main source of income has been lost. “I’ve just been walking around the house this morning, seeing what’s left to salvage.” Guen Measham, a close friend of Ms Teague, has set up a GoFundMe for her and her son in a bid to help them get back on their feet. “There is no insurance on her home, nor renters insurance as she was not on a contract,” Ms Measham said. “They have lost almost everything and now in need of a home to rent, and financial support to replace her essentials like a massage table, furniture, to rebuild her life.” Ms Teague and her son will stay with a friend while they look for somewhere new to live.