Top takes cutter out of the lift

XTREEC

Participating member
Location
Northeast
About a week and a half ago a guy got torn out of a lift along with the top he cut. Occurred in the Lakes Region in NH. I don’t know all the details or whether it was a homeowner or tree service. Cutter was in an approximately 40‘ lift and looked to have taken approx another 40’ of tree. Tree hit the lift basket and bent it perpendicular to the ground. Operator was pinned between the top and the base of the lift when they came down Serious traumatic injuries. Sounded like mostly lower extremities. I don’t know if he survived or not. No harness from what I heard although it seems possible that it could have made it worse. If possible.
 
Confirmed yesterday that the cutter was working solo and was an uninsured “tree guy”. The tree was estimated to be 100’ maybe a little more with top cut from 45’ lift. Photo shows impact on basket as well as bent plates on one outrigger. Apparently that outrigger was on a stump. The guy lived but lost both legs in the accident.
 

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Look him up and read some of his articles in TCIA magazine. He’s a professor in SD(?) who does stats for arborist injuries and fatalities and has been writing a series on transmission line safety etc in the monthly.
 
Confirmed yesterday that the cutter was working solo and was an uninsured “tree guy”. The tree was estimated to be 100’ maybe a little more with top cut from 45’ lift. Photo shows impact on basket as well as bent plates on one outrigger. Apparently that outrigger was on a stump. The guy lived but lost both legs in the accident.
How horrible.
 
This accident makes me think of this one. Speculating something similar occurred.
That's what you get for looking up... poor training and completely unnecessary damage/injury...

DO NOT cut the tree and stand there looking up like you're going to live forever...

cut the tree and get out of there asap...

I have failed to see most of the dangerous falls. I don't stop running until I hear the tree hit the ground...
 
That's what you get for looking up... poor training and completely unnecessary damage/injury...

DO NOT cut the tree and stand there looking up like you're going to live forever...

cut the tree and get out of there asap...

I have failed to see most of the dangerous falls. I don't stop running until I hear the tree hit the ground...
I am in agreement here. When dropping something sketchy, watching it will not change it's course.
et the hell out of dodge.
 
About five years ago a homeowner borrowed a nearby tree guy's forestry truck to take down a huge dead oak at his house and supposably took a huge top out with no notch. This was 15 minutes from my house.
The top was balance just right to not pinch the saw and it "lawn darted" down and ripped the guy's arm off. He bled out in the lift and died.
I saw the truck at a wrecker yard nearby and there was still body fluids all over the fiberglass.
 
About five years ago a homeowner borrowed a nearby tree guy's forestry truck to take down a huge dead oak at his house and supposably took a huge top out with no notch. This was 15 minutes from my house.
The top was balance just right to not pinch the saw and it "lawn darted" down and ripped the guy's arm off. He bled out in the lift and died.
I saw the truck at a wrecker yard nearby and there was still body fluids all over the fiberglass.
Knarly way to die. Terrible.
 

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