Falls
Man injured in fall
A man was injured when he fell from a ladder February 21, 2024, in Jacksonville, Illinois. The man was standing on a ladder cutting branches when he fell. The man was taken to the hospital, but the extent of his injuries was unknown, according to a My Journal Courier report.
Man killed in fall from ladder
A man was killed when he fell from a-ladder while trimming a tree February 13, 2024, in East Bethel, Minnesota. Paul Eugene Malaske, 70, of East Bethel, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to a CBS News report.
Homeowner injured in fall from tree
A man was injured when he fell approximately 25 feet from a tree January 6, 2024, in Mansfield, Massachusetts.The 77-year-old man was trimming a tree when the incident occurred. He suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital by a medical helicopter, according to a report in The Sun Chronicle.
Tree trimmer injured in fall
The operator of a truck-mounted aerial lift was injured after he was knocked out of the lift’s bucket when the truck was hit by a car December 21, 2023, in Clovis, California, near Fresno. The tree worker was transported to the hospital and was listed in critical condition. The driver of the car also ended […]
Worker dies in fall
A worker died in a fall December 7, 2023, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The tree worker was working in a residential area, according to a Fox59 News report. No further details were available.
STRUCK BY OR AGAINST
Worker killed in struck-by
A tree worker was killed by a falling tree March 25, 2024, in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina. The worker was using a chain saw to clear trees in a new development when another tree uprooted and fell on him, according to a CBS 17 report.
Man killed in struck-by
A tree worker was killed by a cut tree March 20, 2024, in Riggins, Idaho. Tyrel Walker, 28, of Riggins, was cutting firewood along the Big Salmon River in the Allison Creek area when he was struck. First responders attempted life-saving measures but were unsuccessful. Walker had worked for a company providing tree-cutting services for […]
Worker seriously injured in struck-by
A man was injured when he was pinned under a tree during tree-felling operations March 9, 2024, in Dighton, Massachusetts. Emergency personnel worked to free the man. He was taken to the hospital via ambulance, according to an ABC 6 report.
Man killed in struck-by
A man was struck and killed by a tree March 4, 2024, in Vigo County, Illinois. Michael G. Decker, 62, of Terre Haute, Indiana, was working to clear a tree that had fallen on his property and did not return home. He was found later that evening pinned under a large tree trunk and had […]
Worker killed in struck-by
An aerial-lift operator was killed when a branch struck the boom of the lift, causing him to fall out of the lift and to the ground February 26, 2024, in Escambia County, Florida. The 59-year-old man was part of a county crew clearing trees when the incident occurred. A preliminary investigation indicated that the victim […]
CAUGHT IN OR UNDER
Worker pinned between tree and bucket truck
A worker became pinned between a tree and a bucket truck March 22, 2024, in Winter Haven, Florida. The worker was part of a crew trimming trees when the incident occurred. The worker was taken to the hospital with unspecified injuries, according to a FOX 35 report.
Tractor operator killed clearing trees
A worker was killed while using a tractor to clear trees February 24, 2024, in Stanislau County, California. The man was operating the tractor when he became trapped between the tractor and a tree, or beneath the tractor tire. He was working for a tree-removal company at the time of the incident, according to an […]
Man dies in struck-by
A man died while doing yard work January 21, 2024, in Milam, Texas.La Porte police chief Doug Ditrich, 51, of La Porte, Texas, was found dead, apparently crushed by a tree. He died due to a “tree cutting accident,” deputies said, according to a KTRE news report.
Worker trapped, injured under tracked lift
A tree worker was injured October 4, 2023, in Colleton County, South Carolina, when he became trapped under a 16,000-pound compact lift. The tree crew was working in a wooded area with a steep embankment when the equipment fell on top of the worker. Photos of the incident indicate that the boom of the tracked […]
Worker killed when caught under tree branch
A lift operator was killed when he was pinned under a tree branch September 26, 2023, in York County, Pennsylvania. Dahn Tran, 42, of Mount Wolf, Pa., died of asphyxia when he was pinned under a branch while he was in the aerial lift, according to a lancasteronline.com report.
ELECTRIC SHOCK OR BURN
Worker electrocuted when crane struck power line
A tree worker on the ground was electrocuted March 25, 2024, in Catskill, New York, when the crane he was working with made contact with a power line. Branden Luciano, 36, of Germantown, New York, was killed when the crane hit the power line and he came into contact with the crane. The crew was […]
Worker electrocuted
A worker was electrocuted while trimming a tree from the bucket of an aerial-lift truck March 18, 2024, in Stilwell, Oklahoma. Dalton Stevens, 23, of Tahlequah, Okla., was trimming a Bradford pear tree with another employee in the bucket when Dalton was killed. The power line was approximately 15 feet away, and the direct cause […]
Handyman electrocuted
A man was killed when he hit power lines while trimming trees February 24, 2024, in Arlington, Florida. The man, who was reported to be in his 30s or 40s, was a handyman helping out with tree work in the area. He was trimming trees approximately 50 feet up when he hit a power line, […]
Climber electrocuted
A climber doing tree work was found unresponsive in a tree in the backyard of a home, apparently after being electrocuted, November 21, 2023, in Cheviot Hills, California. Noel Gonzalez Sixtos, 33, of Los Angeles, was removed from 20 to 25 feet up in the tree. He was pronounced dead at the scene, according to […]
Worker killed by electrical contact
A worker was killed when he made contact with a power line September 23, 2023, in Port Lucie, Florida. Wilson Lopez, 18, of Stuart, Fla., was cutting a tree on a residential job site when the incident occurred, according to a tcpalm.com report. Lopez was transported to the hospital, where he died, according to the […]
RESCUE
Climber rescued from tree
A climber was rescued after becoming entangled in gear and getting stuck upside down in the tree February 4, 2024, in Smith County, Texas. The tree worker may have lost his footing while working in the tree, and a gust of wind also may have been a factor. Emergency responders were able to assist the […]
Worker rescued from bucket truck
A lift operator was rescued after his truck-mounted aerial lift tipped October 15, 2023, in York, Maine, leaving him stranded in the bucket. The York Beach Fire Department was called to stabilize the bucket truck and rescue the worker, according to a News Center Maine report.
Climber rescued from palm
A tree climber in Santa Ana, California, was stuck 40 feet in a palm November 14, 2022. The climber was apparently fatigued and not able to descend on his own. The Orange County Fire Authority’s Technical Rescue Team shot a pilot line over the palm to establish a rope system and was able to rescue […]
Climber rescued after slipping from safety harness
A climber doing tree work was rescued in a Las Vegas neighborhood after slipping from a safety harness while suspended 35 feet in the air August 5, 2022. Las Vegas Fire & Rescue and crews from Clark County and North Las Vegas fire departments responded. The arborist was rescued without serious injuries within 20 minutes […]
Lift operator rescued from bucket
Firefighters in Del Ray Beach, Florida, rescued a worker who found himself stuck in a bucket while trimming trees after his truck caught fire July 23, 2022. The worker was near the top of a tree he was trimming when the truck caught fire. The fire moved from the truck toward the bucket, but firefighters […]
