Tree-trimmer falls, dies in Richmond

[coffeecraver]

Richmond Times-Dispatch Sep 7, 2006


A member of a tree-trimming crew was killed yesterday when he fell from a tree being taken down in Chesterfield County's Brandermill community.
The man, 48, of Chesterfield fell to his death about 6 p.m. in the 3100 block of Quail Hill Drive, Chesterfield police Captain said.
the man had climbed to the top of the tree, which was leaning, to cut branches, the man fell when the tree's root ball gave way, causing the tree to fall.

 

[Ekka]

Root ball failed when he was at the top!

Now this is sad, extremely sad.

The tree was a leaner, probably stood up to a few storms, maybe there was no other way to access.

Raises questions on whether or not there was signs of heavage. Could the tree have been guy roped? Could a cherry picker have got to it?

Assess the trees prior to climbing, check the ground around it, look for fruiting bodies, cavities, decay, swelling.

This also is a stark reminder to customers that the safe way to do a hazardous tree isn't the cheapest way. I personally have had customers say ... but I got a quote $400 cheaper and they're not going to need a cherry picker.

Yeah, and they could end up like this poor fella, sad part is the number of fools who'll just climb it out of ignorance or shrewdness.

 

[l2edneck]

I seen my brother go half way up about a 30 ft palm when it gave way sending him and all his gear into the canal.Some are hard to predict.I've seen em stand in a storm and fall on a calm day.Just goes to show how very unpredictable this occupation is.This is truly sad.My thoughts to his loved ones.

 

[xtremetrees]

that sucks he was older then me prolly more experienced

 

[beowulf343]

Most trees do show some signs of weakness but I've seen more than a few go down that would have been very difficult to predict.

My condolences to his family and friends.


Dan

Yeah, I was up in a white pine a few years ago in a little bit of a wind. Was just getting ready to tie in when the top broke out about a foot above eye level. (Talk about needing a new pair of shorts.) But we never did find anything wrong with the tree, no decay, dead limbs, loose bark, hollow spots, nothing. In fact, the only reason I was taking it down was so a new driveway could be put in. I guess when it's the tree's time to go, it's going to go.

 

[jonseredbred]

awful shame, I worry about that all the time when we do vista trimming at the local lakes. I have learned to get really creative getting bucket trucks in.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Tree must have fallen on him, hey? If he were on top, he might have been able to ride it down.

 

[theXman]

beowolf,

Were you stripping that white pine on the way up?!

That would explain things a bit.

It's a scenario I've thought and talked about and decided could happen. After taking down white pines in wind and thinking about what could happen.

As you strip the limbs off on a white pine, the new bare trunk (lower trunk) will not catch and bend in the wind, all leverage would be put onto the top that has the limbs to catch the wind. You are now bending the trunk at the point around where the limbs meet the bare trunk. Before, when the tree had limbs from top to bottom, the wind would bend the trunk evenly from top to bottom and the tree grew with this stress and could deal with it this way. When you remove most of the limbs, it's like using a fishing rod, but with all the eyelets removed except for the last one or two towards the tip. The rods going to snap under pressure.

this sounds like your experience, since it broke off at eye level.

what you think?!!

 

[Shaun Bowler]

One thing I have noticed in a few of these posts is that the accidents seem to happen after 5:00PM.

 

[moss]

beowolf,

As you strip the limbs off on a white pine, the new bare trunk (lower trunk) will not catch and bend in the wind, all leverage would be put onto the top that has the limbs to catch the wind. You are now bending the trunk at the point around where the limbs meet the bare trunk. Before, when the tree had limbs from top to bottom, the wind would bend the trunk evenly from top to bottom and the tree grew with this stress and could deal with it this way. When you remove most of the limbs, it's like using a fishing rod, but with all the eyelets removed except for the last one or two towards the tip. The rods going to snap under pressure.

The fishing rod example brings it home, good thinking and nice job teaching "theXman". It sounds like a solid theory. Also could be a good way to explain to customers why a pine might need more of its branches not less to remain standing. Or in thinning the branches of a pine even distribution of branches should be kept.
-moss

(edited to correct: theXman is who I meant to address regarding the scenario for a white pine breaking off at the top -AJ)

 

[skyhightree1]

That really hits home because I was working down the street from him.

 

[beowulf343]

Hey xman, sounds like the best theory I've heard! Yeah I was stripping it on the way up-makes sense. Thanks-I learn something new everyday!

 

[Bermie]

That wind loading distribution change isn't theory, it's fact.
We were taught about it at College: excessive crown lifting not only can starve roots but can lead to failure of the tree, and I experienced it first hand when training. We were stripping turkey oaks practicing cuts and rigging, when we got to a pole, topped it out and chogged down the stems. I was doing my tree one day, got about half way, next day when we went back it was blowing about 20 knots. As I progressed up the tree the change in sway was very noticable, with just the top left I felt very vulnerable and had no doubt that the top could pop off, the trunk was oscillating instead of bending and swaying, all the windage was now in the foliage at the top, not evenly distributed down the trunk.

 

[JODY MESSICK]

I heard it was a half uprooted tree with another tree beside it that he could have tied into. A guy I work with,his daughter was dating the guy who died.

 

[theXman]

and I didn't mean to derail this thread, it just really excited me to hear of beowolfs story. It was just this spring what my brothers and I were talking about this possibility after stripping some white pines on a windy day. We came to the conclusion that Yes, we could cause a top to break out by removing the lower limbs and changing the dynamics of the trunk.

Again, didn't mean to derail the thread. Sorry to hear of this man's death.

I've alway wondered if a tree fell while I was lanyard to it, whether I could react and stay up on the upward side, giving me a chance maybe.

 

[Bermie]

Again, didn't mean to derail the thread. Sorry to hear of this man's death.

QUOTE]

Me too, sorry

 

[beowulf343]

Again, didn't mean to derail the thread. Sorry to hear of this man's death.

QUOTE]

Me too, sorry

Yeah, same here. Sorry to hear about a fellow treeman dying doing something that I'm sure we have all done. Makes you stop and think.

 

[xtremetrees]

Yeah, I was up in a white pine a few years ago in a little bit of a wind. Was just getting ready to tie in when the top broke out about a foot above eye level. (Talk about needing a new pair of shorts.) But we never did find anything wrong with the tree, no decay, dead limbs, loose bark, hollow spots, nothing. In fact, the only reason I was taking it down was so a new driveway could be put in. I guess when it's the tree's time to go, it's going to go.

:rockn:

 

[treeslayer]

back during Ivan, I watched robert (Xtremetrees) climb a leaner so bad it looked like a howitzer. the 2' dbh pine was bowed and leaning about 55 - 60 degrees. and I roped pieces it for him. The dum bass homeowner next door whose yard was under this tree said no, you can't fell it, so we we had to rope out the top and pieces. I let those pieces burn into the ground so hard Robert did'nt feel a thing. However, the raggedy arse fence and yard took a vicious beating . I 've climbed leaners that scared everybody else and the point is, read the tree or stay the hell out. I have walked away, or climbed back out of trees that did'nt look or feel right, however experience with bad trees is hard to get.

 

[xtremetrees]

Hey brother treeslayer where art thou? Good to see ya posting.
That was a leaner werent it. But your tops made the bark seperate dog.
You never did spike a trim in that hurrican, my hats off to you bro.
Wheres that video of that 40 inch limb drop?
Things are going good down here in Atl. steady work what more could one ask for. Finally met the woman of my dreams and have told the USArmy to screw the reenlistment bonus 48 months shy of retirement. Shes worth every penny of it. Only one close call in the last year, ground man leaning over bout speared him in the back.

I've met Tom Dunlap, Peter Jenkins and even Dr. Kim Coder. It was a little overwhelming after years of writing about trees with them to actually meet them.

Brother Mike is doing good and still alive. Last week took a rattlesnake to work, thats mike. His pilot license got pulled ya know for his landing gear taking out a three phase line, he's trying to get it back.
Hope you and yours are doing well. Come down we'll chop some down. Looking at a chipper for spring. Keep holding off thou.