Falls
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.
Worker seriously injured in fall
A tree worker was seriously injured in a fall December 6, 2023, in Centerville, Massachusetts. The worker fell approximately 20 feet. MedFlight was not available due to the weather, so the worker was transported via ambulance to a trauma center, according to a CapeCod.com report.
Tree trimmer dies in fall
A climber died when he fell 40 to 50 feet from a tree December 1, 2023, in Poulsbo, Washington. Levi DeLong was working for a local tree service at the time of the accident. He was wearing a harness and was equipped with a safety rope, lanyard and chain saw. He was cutting branches as […]
STRUCK BY OR AGAINST
Worker killed in struck-by
A worker was hit by a falling tree and killed while he was working with his father’s tree company January 30, 2024, in Johns Creek, Georgia. A woman recorded the incident and showed police a video of a truck pulling a tree and a tree falling toward the victim, according to an Appen Media report.An […]
Worker killed in struck-by, another injured in fall
A climber died after he was struck and pinned in a tree by a branch, and his brother was injured in a fall trying to rescue him, January 6, 2024, in North Naples, Florida.Nelson Tut (Tutputul in some reports), 22, was pinned against a tree when a large branch fell during a gust of wind, […]
Man killed in struck-by on roof of his house
A man was killed when he was struck by a falling tree December 18, 2023, in Windham, Maine. Troy Lee Olson, 40, of Windham, was on the roof of his home during the storm to clear a branch when he was struck by another falling tree, according to a wpde.com report.
Man killed in struck-by
A man was killed December 18, 2023, in Fairfield, Maine, when he was trying to clear a tree that came down in a storm. The man was trying to move the tree with his tractor when he was struck by the falling tree, according to a 92moose.fm report.
Tree trimmer paralyzed in struck-by
A tree trimmer was working to clear a tree on his mother’s property when he was struck by a dead limb December 14, 2023, in Toledo, Ohio. Matt Thieman and his brother, Tony Thieman, who also is a tree trimmer, were working together to clear the tree from their mother’s home, according to a WTVG […]
CAUGHT IN OR UNDER
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.
Worker injured when trapped in a boom lift
A worker received non-life-threatening injuries when the boom lift he was operating became pinned by a tree September 25, 2023, in Toledo, Ohio. Part of the tree fell and disabled the boom, according to a WTOL Newsroom report. The tree company was using rented equipment, according to the report.
Worker seriously injured operating skid steer
A tree worker with 20-plus years of experience received serious injuries September 12, 2023, in Seattle, Washington, when he was pinned between the skid steer he was driving and a company truck. The accident occurred in the company yard when the employee backed the skid steer into the parked truck. He received a fractured pelvis […]
ELECTRIC SHOCK OR BURN
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 […]
Worker critical after electrical contact
A worker was seriously injured when his chain saw came in contact with a live power line, September 21, 2023, in Lutz, Florida. The worker was working with a tree crew and was in a rented boom lift when the incident occurred, according to a WFLA NBC Channel 8 News report. The worker was listed […]
Tree contractor electrocuted
A private tree contractor was killed when they touched a live wire August 31, 2023, in Delta Township, Michigan. A Lansing Board of Water & Light spokesperson said the contractor was killed while working at a residence, according to a WLNS news report.
Two workers injured by electrical contact
Two workers were injured by electrical contact August 7, 2023, in Portage County, Wisconsin. The workers were performing a tree-trimming operation when the power line was hit, according to a spmetrowire.com report.
RESCUE
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 […]
Climber rescued after trapped in palm fronds
A tree trimmer who became trapped upside down in palm fronds was rescued by fellow climbers on January 5, 2021, in Escondido, California. The man, who was wearing a harness, became wedged in the tree skirt after large fronds fell on him. He was in distress and screaming for help. The Escondido fire department was […]