Leonie McGarry and Liz Draper were walking their dogs in Rocket Street on December 14, 2023 when a branch snapped and fell, trapping them and knocking Ms McGarry unconscious.

Ms McGarry said State Emergency Service (SES) crews estimated the branch weighed over 100 kilograms.

The incident resulted in Ms McGarry being taken by helicopter to Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, while Ms Draper was taken to Orange. They both received surgery.

It was not the end to the morning they were expecting.

The ladies' day began like any other, with the pair deciding to take their dogs for a walk.

However, while they would normally take the dogs to Police Paddock, they decided to walk around the block to avoid mud caused by rainfall the night before.

And not long into their journey, disaster struck.

"It was certainly a freak accident," Ms McGarry said.

"We just set off on a morning walk and we normally take the dogs and go down to Police Paddock, but it had rained the night before so we thought we'd go for a walk around the street.

"We crossed the road and probably walked 50 metres and next thing I woke up in a helicopter going to Sydney. It wasn't the end to the morning we wanted."

While Ms McGarry has no recollection of the incident, Ms Draper remembers it all.

She remembers being trapped under the tree and waiting for SES crews to cut up the branch with a chainsaw to free them.

And that was all while thinking her friend had died, until she noticed her foot move.

"Unfortunately, I remember the lot of it. I was conscious," Ms Draper said.

"It wasn't really good. But we're both here; we're very, very lucky that we weren't killed."

After eight days at Royal North Shore Hospital, having suffered a head fracture, breaks to her elbow and arm, seven cracked ribs and a damaged T7 vertebrae, Ms McGarry was able to head home.

Though she's been restricted to sitting, lying down and only taking small walks around the house, she said she's starting to feel stronger after having spinal fusion surgery.

Ms Draper remains in hospital after suffering a crushed foot, two cracked vertebrae and five broken ribs.

Following surgery on her foot, Ms Draper was discharged from Orange Base Hospital and later readmitted to Bathurst Hospital, where she has remained for the past few weeks.

She is hopeful that her foot will be out of a cast and in a moonboot in the next two weeks so she can begin rehabilitation.

Despite the traumatic experience and the long recovery ahead, the ladies are thankful to everyone who helped on the day of the incident and with everything else since.

And they're very grateful to be alive.

"We were lucky we weren't killed, really," Ms McGarry said.

"It could have been a lot worse, but then, another five seconds and it wouldn't have happened at all, so it's just a freak of nature, really.

"We just have to get up and keep going and try to be positive, and the support from our friends, family and the bowling club has been lovely."

And getting back out on walks with their dogs again, meeting up with friends and having outings at the bowls club are definitely still on the agenda for the ladies.

"Leonie and I have a date on the greens, and we'll make it a good one," Ms Draper said.