Tree death

[Kevin]

Copied from the Buzz Board arborist web site.

Steve Johnston, Ph.D.. Specialist in Vegetables for Rutgers Cooperative Extension succumbed to massive head and spinal injuries he received 10 days ago while helping his neighbor take a tree down. His funeral was this past Saturday in his home town in south Jersey. Steve leaves behind a wife, three children and a grandchild. He was in his mid to late fifties.

What continues to bother me about this incident is that I have been told "they were doing everything right" and yet the tree still fell on him. Neither Steve nor his neighbor were professional arborists, so how do they know what "the right thing to do" is? Cutting a box and pulling hard on the rope is obviously not nearly enough. I have no details on the accident itself, and since this did not involve a commercial arborist firm, I don't know what kind of investigation (if any) will take place.

Rutgers Cooperative Extension and Steve's family now face the needless loss of a highly respected faculty member, father and grandfather. We as an organization need to continue to get the word out that many tree jobs are beyond the reach and scope of the average homeowner. Spend the money and hire a professional to care for your trees - your life and well being are more than worth it!"

[burlman]

we'll never be able to conquer the consumer, price is the bottom line. The chain saw manual that comes with your saw is the most poorly written book as far as saftey is concerned. Read the instructions on falling a tree, it sounds so simple looking no wonder everybody just jumps into wood cutting, tree felling, and limbing with out a clue of the  physics involved to safely pull this stunt off. I can't count the number times I've been called out for a saw rescue. when you arrive I get cottage people attempting the unthinkable, dressed in shorts some with sandles on there feet, all out trying to persuade a tree to fall somewhere it doesn't want to go. Whenever possible, if I get a new back to the country dude move up and asks me what kind of saw he should buy, I throw him some tips and tell him when he gets it, to come to the bush with me for a few hours and get some lessons. I like to tell them what could happen when they try certain manouvers and the reprecussions that will occur. I'm sure we can all go on and on with disaster stories we have encounterd over the years. We chip-chewers with lots of expierience still know that something could easily happen to us if we miss a moment of attenton to what we are doing. I always work with the premice that the saw hates me, and is always looking for a chance to jump up and bite me or jamb in a log just to peeve me off, so I'm always trying to look ahead of the next cut so it doesn't get a chance. log safe...burlman...

[Kevin]

... and then there`s the home owner guys that do their balancing act on a ladder while they try to cut an 800# limb off the tree they're in.  
I know nobody here has tried that.  

[Furby]

Nope not me!

I tied the ladder to the tree, then myself to the ladder and tree. I forgot the tree could split and peel. I came REALLY close to being six feet under!