Falls
Tree worker seriously injured in fall
A tree trimmer sustained serious injuries when they fell from a tree February 22, 2025, in Fresno, Calif. It was unclear from the report if the tree was 60 feet tall or if the worker fell 60 feet. The worker was transported to a local hospital, according to a CBS47 report. Due to the tree’s […]
Two men killed in fall from aerial lift
Two men were killed when they fell from the bucket or basket of an aerial lift while trimming trees January 11, 2025, in Galesville, Wisconsin. Douglas B. Poss, 63, of Menomonee Falls, and Ryan D. Poss, 61, of Winneconne, were in the lift when it tipped. The lift was on a slight slope, which caused […]
Bucket operator seriously injured in fall
A bucket operator was seriously injured in a fall January 7, 2025, in Waupaca, Wisconsin. The bucket operator was reportedly working without fall protection when the saw became lodged in the tree. As the crane operator over-tensioned, the pick popped off the spar. The cutter held on to the stuck saw and was lifted out […]
Worker seriously injured in fall
A tree-company owner was seriously injured in a fall December 18, 2024, in Issaquah, Washington. Dustin Gerstner, of Bothell, Wash., and a 15-year arborist, was 20 feet up in a large cedar he planned to cut. He moved to a neighboring maple for safety and reported that he was watching the cedar when he felt […]
Climber killed in fall
A tree-company owner was killed in a fall December 13, 2024, in an area near the Susquehanna River in York County, Pennsylvania. Shawnathan Winters, 40, of Dover, Pa., had climbed a tree and was making a cut when he apparently nicked his climbing rope and fell. His crew performed CPR for 45 minutes until EMS […]
STRUCK BY OR AGAINST
Man killed by cut tree
A man was killed when he was apparently struck by a cut tree while cutting firewood February 24, 2024, in Washington County, Pennsylvania. James Krapp, 71, of Pittsburgh, Pa., was alone cutting wood on a friend’s 100-acre property, and it was unclear how long he’d been dead when his body was discovered near the end […]
Man injured by felled limb
A man was injured when he was pinned under a branch February 23, 2025, in Beatrice, Nebraska. The man was cutting firewood when he became pinned under a falling branch. The fire department used air bags to lift the branch off of the man, and he was transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, according […]
Man injured by falling limb
A man was injured by a falling limb while cutting trees February 7, 2025, at a golf course in Adrian Township, Michigan. The man, 50, was wearing a hard hat but sustained multiple injuries when he was struck on the head by the limb. It was unclear if he worked for a tree service or […]
Worker seriously injured by cut tree
A worker with the state of Kentucky’s transportation department was injured when he was struck by a tree he was cutting February 3, 2025, in Lexington, Kentucky. The saw that Dakota Pay, 22, was using became stuck, so he used another saw to dislodge the first saw, which caused the tree to fall in the […]
Motorist hurt when cut tree strikes car
A motorist was injured when a large tree felled by a tree crew dropped into the street, striking her passing vehicle January 26, 2025, in Chattanooga, Tenn. Firefighters built cribbing to lift the tree off the car pinned beneath it so the driver could be evacuated. The driver was taken to a nearby hospital with […]
CAUGHT IN OR UNDER
Tree worker killed in chipper incident
A tree worker was killed when he was pulled into a woodchipper January 28, 2025, in Ocean Ridge, Fla. The man was an employee of a tree company working on the property of the town hall and the police department when the incident occurred, according to a WPEC 24 News report.
Climber dies under palm fronds
A worker died when he was trapped 30 feet up while trimming palm fronds October 17, 2024, in Bakersfield, California. Firefighters worked for more than two hours to remove the heavy fronds from Fermin U. Ortiz Leiva, 55, but he had already died, according to a KGET report
Man pinned, injured by cut tree
A man was injured when his leg was trapped under a cut tree August 31, 2024, in Camden County, New Jersey. First responders freed the man, and he was transported to a local hospital by flight medics, according to a Gloucester Township Daily Voice report
Worker injured when lift overturns
A worker was trapped when the compact lift he was operating overturned August 24, 2024, in Port Republic, Md. The 29-year-old worker was transported to a local hospital with unknown injuries, according to an smnewsnet.com report.
Worker killed in chipper accident
A worker was killed in a chipper-related accident July 10, 2024, in Flemington, New Jersey. Eonias Mateo-Perez, 22, of Flemington, was operating a chipper at a local cemetery when the incident occurred, according to a WFMZ-TV report.
ELECTRIC SHOCK OR BURN
Tree worker injured by electric shock
A tree worker was injured when she was shocked February 15, 2025, in Abilene, Texas. The 22-year-old woman was working as part of a tree-trimming crew when the crew’s bucket-truck boom struck a power line. It was unclear if the victim was in the bucket or if she was on the ground and received a […]
Climber likely electrocuted in palm
A climber was apparently electrocuted while trimming a palm February 12, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Antonio Fuentes, 43, was pronounced dead at the scene after firefighters recovered his body from 25 feet up in the palm. It was not clear if he was a professional tree worker. While electrocution was the likely cause, the […]
Climber rescued after electric shock
Firefighters rescued a climber for a tree care company who was stuck more than 25 feet in the air after he received an electric shock February 8, 2025, in Westwood, Calif. Firefighters waited for authorities to de-energize the utility pole before they were able to rescue the worker. The climber was alert but taken to […]
Man electrocuted
A man was killed when his saw touched power lines January 18, 2025, in La Joya, Texas. Vincente Morgado, 54, of La Joya, was trimming trees on the grounds of a church when the incident occurred, according to a Daily Caller report.
Two workers injured by electricity
Two public-works employees were injured January 9, 2025, in Waukegan, Illinois, when a truck’s crane boom came in contact with power lines. The two tree workers were part of a public-works crew working in the area when one of the trucks, equipped with a crane, touched a power line. The power line energized the truck, […]
RESCUE
Tree worker rescued from fall into crevice
A tree worker was rescued after falling 100 feet into a crevice January 29, 2025, in Bloomington, New York. The worker was part of a crew clearing trees along power lines when a branch broke and knocked him into the crevice. He suffered leg injuries and was treated by co-workers, who used ropes to descend […]
Lift operator rescued from bucket
A tree worker was rescued from a bucket truck January 14, 2025, in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. The aerial-lift operator was performing tree work in a neighborhood when the bucket appeared to malfunction. The fire department provided rescue equipment, and the worker was able to attach himself to a rope before being lowered to the ground, according […]
Worker rescued from bucket truck
A tree worker was rescued from the bucket of an aerial-lift truck December 31, 2024, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. A hydraulic line on the truck ruptured, causing the man to be stranded at height. Firefighters were able to extend their truck ladder and rescue the bucket operator, according to a FOX 25 News report.
Worker rescued from tree
A climber was rescued after getting trapped by branches November 9, 2024, in Dallas, Texas. Dallas Fire-Rescue crews had to cut branches in order to position an aerial ladder to reach the worker. The climber then was able to descend the ladder with the aid of technicians and was not taken to the hospital, according […]
Tree worker rescued after equipment failure
Firefighters were called to rescue a tree worker from 40 feet up August 23, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. The call reported a worker with an unknown medical condition, but upon arrival it was discovered that the 26-year-old worker was stuck in a dangerous position due to an equipment malfunction, according to a hoodline.com report.
