# Groundman Killed In Richmond Va



## JODY MESSICK (Dec 18, 2006)

A member of a tree-trimming crew was fatally injured yesterday in Chesterfield County when he was struck in the head by a limb.

The man suffered a massive head injury shortly before 10 a.m. and was pronounced dead a short time later at CJW Medical Center (Chippenham), Chesterfield police Lt. Kevin Smith said.

The 35-year-old Chesterfield resident was a day laborer working for a tree service, Smith said. His name was being withheld pending notification of relatives.

The fatal accident occurred in the 9100 block of Reigate Road in the Bexley subdivision.

Smith said the man was on the ground holding a rope that ran through the top of tree and was attached to a limb on an adjacent tree. When another crew member in a bucket truck cut the limb, it swung down and hit the man, Smith said.


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## JayD (Dec 19, 2006)

Hi,
My thoughts go out to his family and friends.


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## TimberJack_7 (Dec 20, 2006)

No Helmet?


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## alanarbor (Dec 21, 2006)

JODY MESSICK said:


> The 35-year-old Chesterfield resident was a day laborer working for a tree service, Smith said. His name was being withheld pending notification of relatives.
> 
> 
> Smith said the man was on the ground holding a rope that ran through the top of tree and was attached to a limb on an adjacent tree. When another crew member in a bucket truck cut the limb, it swung down and hit the man, Smith said.



An untrained individual performing lowering operations. :bang: 

The results were all but predetermined.


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## l2edneck (Dec 21, 2006)

Just not addin up.He must have let go,or couldnt hold it.Prayers to his loved ones.


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## gumneck (Dec 21, 2006)

Although its plainly obvious, it seems like he was in the wrong position in the first place regardless of whether he could hold it or not. 

Are there times as a groundman when you have to hold friction on a rope and be in the path of a limb being cut?


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## JayD (Dec 22, 2006)

Just not addin up.He must have let go,or couldnt hold it.Prayers to his loved ones.

I felt aswell there is more to it,dame shame


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## sisco (Dec 22, 2006)

*fatality*

Sad that that happened. I always tell my guys to wrap the rope end around another tree. I dont care if you think you can hold it or not. Also I would never had put him in the swing area of the limb or underneath where its crotched in case that limb breaks. Some guys are hardheaded and what to do it thier way though.


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## Ekka (Dec 22, 2006)

I reckon that the limb that was cut off took a big pendulum swing straight into the bloke.

It says the rope went up thru the top of one tree and across to a limb being cut off another.

For the limb to have been roped it must have had an obstacle under it so it had to be swung off toward the tree with the lowering rope.

Now if he couldn't hold it and let it go it would have gone pretty much straight down before it got to him at the base of the tree.

My hunch is that by the time it got to where he was it was the right height to clobber him and if anything he was locked off or over wrapped and couldn't let it drop.

Being a noob he panicked and held on wearing the limb in the end.

I have seen this before, noobs get in the firing line of a log swinging etc ... also I have heard of blokes pull over trees with too short a rope and the trees fall on them (SRS ... short rope syndrome)

My guess is that the he was in the pendulum swing zone over wrapped or locked off and perhaps not looking or the thing was that big and happened that fast he copped it.

*You should never be under the load being lowered or in it's swing. If necessary use a tag line.*

Poor bugger.


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## coydog (Dec 23, 2006)

without being there no way to really know what happened, I was sucked right up to the hobbs once lowering too big a piece with not enough wraps, could of been clobbered for sure


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## JTinaTree (Dec 23, 2006)

There could be hundreds of things to say about what went wrong, But it is Christmas time and I will pray for his family I know it will be hard to spend the Holidays without him..


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## Streyken (Dec 23, 2006)

JTinaTree said:


> There could be hundreds of things to say about what went wrong, But it is Christmas time and I will pray for his family I know it will be hard to spend the Holidays without him..



Same sentiments. Hindsight may be 20/20, but just remember how fast things can happen the next time you're trying to save 10 minutes on a job. Prayers to his family.


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## gasman (Dec 30, 2006)

Small world, I work with the homeowner. He saw the whole thing. The victim was looking the other way when the limb hit him. If he was watching he could have easily avoided it. Killed instantaneously.


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## JayD (Dec 30, 2006)

All eyes must stay on the ball, it's not down till it's down. All it takes is a lapse of concentration......drop zone ...no go...if there's chance of a pendulum type swing ...no go....as my son puts in the felling cut and I'm holding the lowering rope I try to watch where everyone is just for this type accident and I know hindsight is 20/20 but from a tragedy....maybe we can save heaps more people by being more vigilant. My sincere sympathy go's out for the poor Gent's family


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