Banyan tree splits Fort Myers veteran’s home in half during Irma

FORT MYERS, Fla. A massive banyan tree crashed into the home of a veteran during Hurricane Irma.

Charlie Dees was trapped underneath debris after a tree tumbled over from his front yard and almost split the house in half.

“I realized I was alive and I was also underneath the house, I was crushed underneath the house,” Dees said.

Dees’ fiance was in the kitchen when she heard the loud crash.

“She’s screaming for me and I can hear her, I’m saying ‘I’m here, I’m fine, you know whatever,’ but I couldn’t see anything,” Dee said.

Dee was able to escape from under the debris and the tree unharmed, but his home is now considered unsafe.

“Well this place is just destroyed. Half the kitchen is gone, half the bathroom is gone, one bedroom is intact. The rest of the house is crushed to the ground,” Dee said.

Dee packed up his belongings Friday and must be completely moved out by Saturday.