http://media.www.sonomastatestar.com/med...l-3624605.shtml
Mark Otten, student, answered his phone around 9 a.m. on Jan. 29 only to hear that his plan for the day had been changed drastically in a matter of seconds. Mark's father, Kevin Otten, campus arborist, had fallen 20 feet through a sky light near the corporation yard.
As some saw the ambulance on campus the stories started to circulate.
"I heard a maintenance guy was in a car accident," said sophomore, Marco Brunamonti.
"I heard that he fell out of a tree," said senior, Kristen Bower.
Otten fell through a skylight and was taken off campus by ambulance early Thursday morning.
"It was very unexpected to get a call like this the first week of classes," said Mark. "It definitely added to the craziness."
Otten suffered injuries from the fall and was taken to Memorial Hospital where he underwent some minor surgery.
He spent four days in the hospital and was released on Monday, Feb. 2. Due to employee confidentiality laws not much is released about Otten's injuries, but he is expected to recover fully and return to work.
"We're happy to have him home, I think the familiar setting is helping him get better," said Mark.
According to the Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Craig Dawson, Otten has been through fall protection training and is regularly working with heights.
"He is an extremely safe employee," said Dawson. "This is one of those things that unfortunately can happen, it definitely falls into that accident category."
Otten was wearing the proper safety equipment, a hardhat strapped properly, when trying to remove a tree that had fallen against the general services building, located near H parking lot behind the tennis courts.
It is hard to say what caused the fall because Otten incurred a concussion and cannot remember the events leading up to the fall.
"Weather didn't play a factor," said Dawson. "We don't know if he didn't see it, it is difficult to see those from the roof side, or if it was just simply a miss-step."
Mark Otten, student, answered his phone around 9 a.m. on Jan. 29 only to hear that his plan for the day had been changed drastically in a matter of seconds. Mark's father, Kevin Otten, campus arborist, had fallen 20 feet through a sky light near the corporation yard.
As some saw the ambulance on campus the stories started to circulate.
"I heard a maintenance guy was in a car accident," said sophomore, Marco Brunamonti.
"I heard that he fell out of a tree," said senior, Kristen Bower.
Otten fell through a skylight and was taken off campus by ambulance early Thursday morning.
"It was very unexpected to get a call like this the first week of classes," said Mark. "It definitely added to the craziness."
Otten suffered injuries from the fall and was taken to Memorial Hospital where he underwent some minor surgery.
He spent four days in the hospital and was released on Monday, Feb. 2. Due to employee confidentiality laws not much is released about Otten's injuries, but he is expected to recover fully and return to work.
"We're happy to have him home, I think the familiar setting is helping him get better," said Mark.
According to the Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Craig Dawson, Otten has been through fall protection training and is regularly working with heights.
"He is an extremely safe employee," said Dawson. "This is one of those things that unfortunately can happen, it definitely falls into that accident category."
Otten was wearing the proper safety equipment, a hardhat strapped properly, when trying to remove a tree that had fallen against the general services building, located near H parking lot behind the tennis courts.
It is hard to say what caused the fall because Otten incurred a concussion and cannot remember the events leading up to the fall.
"Weather didn't play a factor," said Dawson. "We don't know if he didn't see it, it is difficult to see those from the roof side, or if it was just simply a miss-step."
