# Man killed from being pinned under tree.



## Zackman1801 (Jan 15, 2009)

With great sadness i must say on tuesday a man from my town was killed while logging, he was very experienced. Apparently after felling the tree and starting his retreat the tree hit an object and fell in the opposite direction and landed on top of him. I am unclear if the tree actually killed him or if it was something else, there are different reports from family members. 

Here is the newspaper article:
AUBURN - The accidental death of Bernard John "Jack" Hackett of Buckfield, a self-employed logger and jack of all trades, has shocked his hometown, where he was known as a hard worker and a friendly sort.

The 59-year-old former selectman was killed Tuesday evening while felling trees on Hersey Hill Road in Auburn.

Hackett died in the woods after a falling tree landed on his lower back, pinning him to the ground, Deputy Chief Jason Moen of the Auburn Police Department said.

Hackett served as a selectman from 1991 to 1994 and was on the Board of Assessors during the same time, said Cindy Dunn, Buckfield's town clerk.

"It's definitely a shock and a tragedy to our community, and he'll definitely be missed," Dunn said.

Hackett's family and friends remembered him as a hardworking and generous individual. Sandi Gammon, Hackett's ex-wife, said Hackett had been logging for 32 years and also did farm work during the summer. She said he had served in the military and was an avid hunter and fisherman.

"He would work until the sun came up in the morning and until it went down at night," she said. "He was one of those guys who seemed to be older than he was because he worked so hard physically all his life."

Hackett is survived by a son and a daughter, a stepson, three grandchildren, and girlfriend Kate Buck, who works as a physical education teacher in the Buckfield school system, Gammon said.

She said Hackett would help his son's family when his son was working out of state, and would also assist people with snowplowing and other tasks.

"If there's any elderly people who needed anything at all, he was always helping them out," she said.

Bob Brown, owner of Stone's Gun Shop, said he had known Hackett for about 35 years.

"He was a jack of all trades. He could do anything," Brown said. "He helped everybody."

Brian Bean, assistant forestry instructor at Oxford Hills Technical School, teaches five steps regarding the hazards of felling a tree, including assessing the lean of the tree and its branch load.

"When the tree starts to go, we walk away from it, watching it but going down your escape route, getting out of the way," Bean said.

He said loggers are subject to the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Certified Logging Professional program.

"It's a dangerous occupation, but it's gotten better," Bean said. "You hate to see somebody get in an accident. You hate to see somebody lose their life."

OSHA has been informed of the accident.

Hackett is the second Oxford County woodsman to die in the past month in a logging accident.

On Dec. 13, Don Barker, 66, of Rumford, was killed while cutting down a pine tree on his land. He was struck by that tree and pinned against another.


Very scary and very unfortunate. He was my cousin Kates Long time boyfriend. I go to school with his granddaughter. 

Brian Bean the man the interviewed is also my teacher. I have a new respect for what can happen in the woods. its really easy to make a mistake and end it all. This guy knew what he was doing and it just goes to show that anything can happen......Stay safe, and watch what your doing out there!


----------

