# Homeowner dies while felling tree



## ATS/TexasTree (Nov 13, 2008)

Go to:
http://www.ocala.com/article/20081112/ARTICLES/811120293

Sad case. 

More arborists should sell simple felling or offer a price just to put a tree on the ground. 

Let the homeowner get his kicks cutting up the brush and trunk after it's been safely put on the ground.


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## smokechase II (Nov 13, 2008)

*Looks like*

The butt cuts look like either:

A grossly inadequate top cut to the face (Dutchman) was made
or
A bore cut(s) that removed the hinge was made.

==============


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## John D (Nov 13, 2008)

What a shame. I am amazed at the lack of respect some have for the size,weight,and power of a falling tree.I have learned over the years how to drop trees,but I am no expert,having only dropped maybe 100+ trees in my lifetime.I got a pro to drop a few for use a few yrs back,they were just too big for me to handle with my saws and experience.He dropped them safely and quickly,made it look like childs play.It was well worth the couple hundred dollars he charged.Like anything else,you gotta know your limits,and work within them.I also never work alone,always have help with me when dropping trees,of course they are well outside the dropline,and usually seated in the big loader or SS with the forks on it.


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## splittah (Nov 13, 2008)

It is a shame, thats for sure. 

But, according to the article it sounds like he had already made the cuts THEN climbed up on a ladder to attach a rope and pull it over.

1) You do not make cuts before climbing to put a rope on.
2) You do not pull straight on a rope that obviously wasn't long enough to begin with. 
3) How is it that you do not run or otherwise try and get out of the way of a tree that is obviously coming right at you? Did he just decide to stop and light a cigarette or something once it started falling? I don't get it.


Maybe it is possibly one of three things.

1) He had absolutely NO business buying the stupid chainsaw in the first place.. Or at the least could not read the directions that came with it.
2) Darwin was right.
3) Anyone think that maybe it was a surefire way of committing suicide?

If someone is "disturbed" enough to jump into a running chipper, someone could be disturbed enough to drop a tree on himself.

Sure would be a good way to commit suicide and still have your family get any life insurance because it would certainly "look" like an accident wouldn't it?


:monkey:


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## belgian (Nov 13, 2008)

Splittah, those comments are a little gross imo. This man made surely mistakes, but I know easier ways of comitting suicide. I think he cut his hinge and left an unstable tree standing. Maybe the wind blew it over when he walking away to pull... Sad accident that easily could have been avoided.


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## splittah (Nov 13, 2008)

TreeCo said:


> As there were no witnesses the above statement is speculation. The ladder is not shown in the photo or video so my guess would be that even if he did use a ladder to place a rope after the tree was cut, he made it back to the ground to pull on the rope. Judging from the stump cut there is no way that cut was made before climbing a ladder to place a rope. The hinge wood appears to be totally missing.
> 
> My guess is he pulled the tree over on himself using the rope.
> 
> ...



The detectives apparently do not think it is speculation.. and they also say they believe he was in the process of pulling on it.

My point was that apparently he made the cuts then climbed the tree.... and the detectives stated they believe so too.

"Sheriff's detectives believe the accident victim, Ronald O'Dowd, of 14373 S.W. 18th Place, had partially cut the tree at the bottom and used a ladder to go up and tie a rope to it. O'Dowd apparently had climbed down and with the rope and was trying to tug or otherwise apply pressure to the tree when it fell on top of him."

They must have some reason to believe that this was the sequence of events. 

And just because there is no ladder in the picture or video means nothing at all unless you were a first responder and saw the actual scene firsthand.

It is truly a sad thing.


And I would think they would seek the input of professionals as the detectives are pros at what they do also.


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## SLlandscape (Nov 13, 2008)

My thinking is that he tried pulling on the rope while facing the tree using arm strength. After trying this and not having any success he turned around facing away from the tree and wraped the rope around his waist making a loop and leaned over slightly to use his body weight and his legs to get more strength in pulling on the rope. This is my best explaination as to why he was trapped under the tree when it fell. If he was facing it as it fell he should have been more than able to get out of the way in time. 

For his sake and his family I hope he did not sufer for to long of time.


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## Dadatwins (Nov 13, 2008)

Short ropes and tall trees do not go together well. Probably had a short rope tied on and pulled it to him thinking he could get out of the way as it fell. Might have tripped and that was it. Hopefully he is in a better place now. RIP.


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## randyg (Nov 15, 2008)

Looks like that started out to be a textbook couple of felling cuts. Face about 1/4 1/3 the diameter. Back cut just a hair above apex of face cut. I think about a 4 inch hinge was originally set up. A 10 dollar felling wedge would have finished the job. HOWEVER, I bet she settled back on the back cut allowing him to reduce the thickness of the hinge from the face side untill the hinge became a mere 1/4" to 1/2" thick. The hinge wood then compressed a bit, pinching the saw, leaving no alternative except pull the tree over. Could have been the pull, could have been a slight breese, but when the hinge is that thin and compressed, it will just pull apart without a sound, giving no warning that the tree has started over. To bad this kind of thing happens so often.


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## randyg (Nov 15, 2008)

TreeCo said:


> As there were no witnesses the above statement is speculation. The ladder is not shown in the photo or video so my guess would be that even if he did use a ladder to place a rope after the tree was cut, he made it back to the ground to pull on the rope. Judging from the stump cut there is no way that cut was made before climbing a ladder to place a rope. The hinge wood appears to be totally missing.
> 
> My guess is he pulled the tree over on himself using the rope.
> 
> ...



When you play the video, esp. on full screen view, it shows the stump. A few wiskers all very short denote a very narrow hinge, effctive tipping poles perhaps, but not entire trees.


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## Burvol (Nov 15, 2008)

Look in the lower corner of the butt. That tiny spec of sliver is all that was left of his hindge. The tree was over-sawed up, (could have had a limb touching another tree or a slight breeze) and he probably had little or no respect for the tree. Let that be a lesson. This stuff is needless. There are plenty of ways to do it, but ropes are absoultly retarted and not needed with any conifers. Use wedges. I'll argue that with anyone, all day long. And if you can't hit your spot with a good hindge and wedge, you have no business stumping that tree.


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## jomoco (Nov 15, 2008)

We've had two fatalities very similar to this one here in San Diego county within the last year, elderly gentlemen felling trees and dying alone when things went very wrong for them. Both were found dead by their wives.

One was extremely similar to this case in that the gentleman had made his felling cuts, then climbed up the tree to attach a rope when the tree fell pinning him under it.

The other was a crossed over oak that when the gentleman cut it from the ground, it jumped back on him, lifting him off the ground, and pinning him against an adjacent oak by the neck. He died quickly from a broken neck. It was a particularly grisly scene for his wife, who discovered him pinned off the ground by the neck. He obviously was completely unaware the tree he dropped was a crossover.

jomoco


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## TimberMcPherson (Nov 16, 2008)

Well he did miss the house. If he hadnt got crushed by it (big IF!!) he would have thought he was a tree felling expert.

But close only counts in lawn bowls and hand grenades.


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## windthrown (Nov 16, 2008)

ATS/TexasTree said:


> More arborists should sell simple felling or offer a price just to put a tree on the ground.



I was thinking about this just today. I was dropping a hawthorn tree out by the road in front of one of my brother's houses, and I thought, "hey, I sold my Bandit 90 chipper so I cannot do full service tree removal, but... I could just drop a tree and buck it up for X bucks. But of course I would have to compete with the Mexican army around here. And they work pretty cheap. I would also have to get insurance. And probably have to get certified in this state. Then they would want a license. And then... :monkey: 

I do free tree dropping for friends and family though.


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## Grace Tree (Nov 16, 2008)

It looks as if the back cut is slightly stepped. I'd say one or two cuts were made into the face cut. I'd guess the tree set back from wind or weight. Not enough to pinch the bar but enough to put some doubt in his mind. Out comes the ladder and rope. A couple cuts into the face. Then, ????
Phil


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## woodguy105 (Nov 23, 2008)

I'd like to see the stump. Everything is flat on the bottom of the tree...seems like his back cut was made in line with the top of the face cut( I held my laptop on its side so the tree is vertical) and not enough force in play for the tree to fall in the intended direction...so up went the rope. Could have been a light breeze that pushed it over and he was in the worst spot to be in while felling a tree.

Unfortunate.


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## webberm249 (Dec 1, 2008)

Burvol said:


> Look in the lower corner of the butt. That tiny spec of sliver is all that was left of his hindge. The tree was over-sawed up, (could have had a limb touching another tree or a slight breeze) and he probably had little or no respect for the tree. Let that be a lesson. This stuff is needless. There are plenty of ways to do it, but ropes are absoultly retarted and not needed with any conifers. Use wedges. I'll argue that with anyone, all day long. And if you can't hit your spot with a good hindge and wedge, you have no business stumping that tree.



:agree2: , ropes retarted wedges are the way, and no, he had no bussiness even touching a chainsaw, let alone felling a tree, let his misfortune be a lesson to others with no common sense....


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## rick2752 (Dec 1, 2008)

Was he found face down? Maybe he was pulling and the tree just came his way and he slipped and fell. Once he got the tree moving there was getting out of the way.


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## huskys rule (Dec 1, 2008)

my #1 rule never pick-up a saw without some one around. and #2 never stand under a falling tree. I am sorry for the guy and his family but with little or no experience don't try too big a tree.


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## Nailsbeats (Dec 2, 2008)

First of all, the use of pull ropes is standard practice for professional felling of residential trees, in conjunction with wedges to hold the kerf. Second, never stand in the drop zone, or turn your back on a partially cut tree. RIP.


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## Burvol (Dec 2, 2008)

huskys rule said:


> my #1 rule never pick-up a saw without some one around. and #2 never stand under a falling tree. I am sorry for the guy and his family but with little or no experience don't try too big a tree.



Yes, but fallers have a saying here that goes "Little trees kill guys". Smaller ones always make home owners feel capable, but sometimes they don't give them the respect of a bigger tree. Just cut a firewood block off a little tree and feel how heavy it is, then multiply that by 50!


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## huskys rule (Dec 2, 2008)

Burvol said:


> Yes, but fallers have a saying here that goes "Little trees kill guys". Smaller ones always make home owners feel capable, but sometimes they don't give them the respect of a bigger tree. Just cut a firewood block off a little tree and feel how heavy it is, then multiply that by 50!



very true


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## murphy4trees (Dec 16, 2008)

*look at the picture*

Look at the photo in post #3..
It is clearly and unmistakeably a dutchman caused by the floor cut of the face bypassing the roof cut by several inches... In which case the tree will move ever so slightly until the kerf closes and then will not budge until the hinge fails...


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## John Ellison (Dec 16, 2008)

Yep, you are right, a full face dutchman is as common around here as the angled backcut. Usually used by someone who does not understand the mechanics of a hinge. They can get away with it occasionally as long as it is on a short tree.


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## ozzy42 (Dec 17, 2008)

Sad Sad Sad


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## pdqdl (Dec 17, 2008)

Some years back, I had two guys working for me pulling on a rope attached to a huge oak. As it went over, they just stood there in the drop zone staring at it.

If we hadn't yelled *"RUN!"* at them, it would have all been over for them. They did, and we learned to explain even the obvious a little bit more clearly.

So maybe this incident is as simple as it seems.


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## webberm249 (Dec 18, 2008)

pdqdl said:


> Some years back, I had two guys working for me pulling on a rope attached to a huge oak. As it went over, they just stood there in the drop zone staring at it.
> 
> If we hadn't yelled *"RUN!"* at them, it would have all been over for them. They did, and we learned to explain even the obvious a little bit more clearly.
> 
> So maybe this incident is as simple as it seems.



pdq, try to avoid hiring people with down syndrome, or people who show up to work with blood shot eyes that "smell funny"


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## pdqdl (Dec 19, 2008)

Both were young and dumb. Not smelling funny, or otherwise afflicted. But certainly not too bright.

There is also the simple distraction of watching something spectacular to cause the inexperienced to forget common sense. Think of all the mistakes you hear about when some otherwise bright fellow gets distracted by a pretty girl.

The same thing can happen when you are watching a big tree come down.


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## ropensaddle (Dec 19, 2008)

pdqdl said:


> Both were young and dumb. Not smelling funny, or otherwise afflicted. But certainly not too bright.
> 
> There is also the simple distraction of watching something spectacular to cause the inexperienced to forget common sense. Think of all the mistakes you hear about when some otherwise bright fellow gets distracted by a pretty girl.
> 
> The same thing can happen when you are watching a big tree come down.


Which is why I use a rope twice the distance of the height of the tree so
they can get way back no yelling needed! Not picking just explaining my
technique of avoiding the dip chit syndrome now if they are experienced
and not clumsy I can adjust. Bad deal for the homeowner and his family
sure wish he would have posted here before attempting this but may not 
have changed the outcome.


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## leafmouldpete (Jan 12, 2009)

*heart attack ?*

Seeing as there hasn't been an outcome to the post-mortem ( that I've seen at least). Could it have been that the guy, who was in his late 50's, attached the rope, gave an almighty heave, promptly had a coronary, and the rest is obvious? Just a thought.


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