An Australian visitor’s trip to Oahu was marred when a branch from a Waikiki banyan tree fell on him, causing a compound fracture of his thumb.

The man and his wife were at a table near the Waikiki police substation at Kuhio Beach on Sept. 10 when a huge branch from a termite-infested tree fell, scratching her cheek and landing on his thumb. According to a police report, the branch was approximately 15 feet in length and was so heavy that it took approximately 10 to 15 people to get it off of the man.

Jessica Lani Rich, president and CEO of the Visitor Aloha Society, said the incident happened around 12:47 p.m. and that the man was taken to The Queen’s Medical Center emergency room where he was treated and released.

“EMS was called to the scene, and the city Parks and Recreation Department was notified. They closed the surrounding beach area for a time to allow city parks to remove the debris and blood droppings,” Rich said.

Rich said VASH, which aids visitors in distress, reached out to the couple to assist them and provide donated items to improve their stay.

“They stayed a few days past the incident and then returned to Australia,” she said. “We offered them a chance to debrief from this very random incident. They were very gracious. He said that he’d have an interesting story to share back home.”