Watch the full report from WTVR CBS 6 Photojournalist Joe Valdez in the video player above.
POWHATAN COUNTY, Va. -- A Powhatan family is counting their blessings after two people narrowly missed being hit by a large tree that crashed down onto the home's patio Friday night.
Chris said that while there had been some heavy rain and strong winds earlier in the day, "it was calm as can be" when the tree fell.
"It was definitely a bluebird day just sitting here out by a fire," Chad recalled. "Just two guys hanging out waiting for the kids to come outside and roast some marshmallows."
That was when they heard a crackling sound that was echoing off the home's garage.
"It sounded like a bear was coming through the woods, Chris said. "It was so loud."
But it was the white landscaping tarp on the tree's root ball coming out of the ground "when everything clicked to get out of the way," Chris recalled.
The pair managed to jump out of harm's way as the tree fell.
"We were just sitting right here and I looked back and the we kind of looked at each other," Chris said. "I dive over the wall into the rosebushes and then Chad follows behind me."
The home's surveillance video captured the massive tree crashing right where the pair had been sitting.
The "big old tree" caused extensive damage to the home's outdoor fireplace.
"Some many things went right and things could have gone so wrong," Chris said.
The pair said there had been no warning signs that the tree was in bad shape or had the potential to come down.
"It's definitely a come to Jesus moment," Chris acknowledged. "My dad said, 'Your mom's looking out after you.' So I truly think my mom was looking out after me."
"I feel 100% blessed," Chad said. "All you can do after that is pray... Somewhere, somebody was looking out for me and Chris. It just happened to be perfectly executed for us to escape as much harm as we could have been through."
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