owner falls 30 feet to his death

[JODY MESSICK]

FULLERTON, Calif. -- The owner of a Lynwood tree-trimming business fell about 30 feet to his death Friday while cutting a palm tree during gusty wind conditions in a Fullerton back yard, police said.

The man, whose name was not immediately released, was working at 612 Paseo Place when the accident occurred about 11 a.m.

Co-worker Juan Vega, 34, of Lynwood, left to refuel a chain saw. He found his boss on the ground when he returned to the back yard, said Fullerton police Sgt. Steve Matson.

Vega ran to a neighboring house, and the resident called 911, Matson said. The victim might have hit his head on a patio cover on the way down, the sergeant said, adding that he was dead when paramedics arrived.

The man was wearing a harness, but "it obviously didn't slow him down when he fell," Matson said.

The man may have loosened the harness as he moved down the tree, Matson said, adding that he had lopped off the top of the 50-foot palm and was taking it down in three-foot sections.

The winds, which were gusting to 15 mph, also might have played a role, Matson said.

The property owner, who recently moved from Brea, was having the tree removed in order to enlarge the ranch-style house, Matson said.

The California division of Occupational Safety and Health will investigate the death

 

[MasterBlaster]

Bummer. Ya gotta be stuck to the tree, 'specially in the wind.

Sad.

 

[NickfromWI]

I hope we get to hear more about this

 

[Ekka]

I bet he was only coming down on his lanyard and didn't have 2 attachment points.

Had he have choked off his life line with a running bowline against the trunk etc and slipped he would have got grazed and hung there.

On palms I take either 2 lanyards (choking one off) or a lifeline, choking that off.

 

[vharrison2]

15 mpw is not that much...even in a gust. With nobody to see the fall I don't know that wind factored.Although 15 mph is probably different when you are 30' up. Tie in Tie in

 

[Koa Man]

15mph winds is nothing after the top was already off. Normal weather here is 10-20 mph trade winds. We trim 40-70 ft. high palms in that kind of wind and even up to 25 mph winds. I seriously doubt wind was a factor, something else must have happened.

 

[Monkeywitha_saw]

i trim in winds much higher than that but them damm things do sway a lot but if the head is gone it had to be getting to slacked on the job and not paying attention