Worker Killed While Removing Tree

[SirTreeRat]

http://www.star-telegram.com/news/story/1893549.html

TH 1-14-2010 Death F15 & SBT

Worker Killed While Removing Tree

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TX -- A worker was killed Thursday morning as he fell from a tree that he was hired to remove from a home in North Richland Hills, police said. The Tarrant County medical examiner’s office identified the man as Bobby Gaddy, 46, of Saginaw. Emergency crews were called at 10:06 a.m. to a home on Oak Court, a cul-de-sac off of Davis Boulevard on the north side of the city. Gaddy was hired to remove a tree in the front yard of a one-story home, said Detective Keith Bauman said. The spokesman estimated that the tree was about 30 to 40 feet high, with a base of about 30 inches. "The individual and three other workers came out," Bauman said. "They made cuts at the base of the tree and realized that some higher limbs could fall on the house." The man got on a ladder, about 15 feet off the ground, and started cutting away the limbs, Bauman said. But suddenly, Bauman said, "the tree snapped at the trunk." "The entire tree fell," Bauman said. "He was knocked from the ladder and pinned under the tree. He died from his injuries."

 

[altissimus]

avoidable ...

 

[DonaldRobertson]

Terrible thing that happened. This could have been avoidable just like altissimus said.

 

[Crazy_Jimmy]

Man that sucks.I remember doing something like that years ago.I was gone doing and estimate and i get back to the job and noticed this giant notch in this 40 foot stump.The notch was way to deep and the trunk was way to tall to be felled in a tight spot.I forgot what the target was but we could not cut it without some major carnage.Anyway we couldnt get a bucket or a crane to it and I literally thought this thing was gonna fall(huge notch).So what did I do, spiked up the thing(yeah idiot move but I was young and wanted to get paid)and pieced the top out so we could finally control the fall without any damage.Its weird I showed these dudes over and over how to cut a notch(no greater than a third)and explained how low to cut it and so on.But I guess they got lazy or in a hurry or actually I think the climber was on drugs-which i didnt till later..The ironic thing about all this is this happened literally a couple miles from where this guy got killed in this article.I was young and dumb and a little crazy back then-man this could have been me.Poor guy I wonder if he was trying to correct some other dudes mistake like I did.I agree totally avoidable.

 

[shreddy]

Thanks for always finding this stuff SirTreeRat. I feel like when I read these articles I always get something out of them. Hate to gain from somebody else's misfortunes, but they really do help keep me on my toes, aware, awake, more attentive. Good daily reminders.
I'm sure this guy has a family, and I feel for them.

 

[boreality]

I often see bent ladders at the dump. I'm sure every one has an amateur tree removal story. I should collect them and make some kind of art, maybe a ladder tree or a fence. I have a highway frontage location it could be a good "hire a pro" motivator. Unless people thought I bent them all. Actually it would be too ugly for art as I'm trying to create an arboretum, but it could be a marketing tool. Maybe grow vines through the ladder tree. They are just kind of ugly material for art, but a powerful message.

 

[Slim]

sounds like something you would see on YouTube.

 

[Blinky]

[ QUOTE ]
avoidable ...

[/ QUOTE ]

Utterly.

 

[treehumper]

Err on the side of caution. We've often removed branches we felt may come in contact with an obstacle. Measure twice cut once...