Homeowner dies while felling tree

[Burvol]

my #1 rule never pick-up a saw without some one around. and #2 never stand under a falling tree. I am sorry for the guy and his family but with little or no experience don't try too big a tree.

Yes, but fallers have a saying here that goes "Little trees kill guys". Smaller ones always make home owners feel capable, but sometimes they don't give them the respect of a bigger tree. Just cut a firewood block off a little tree and feel how heavy it is, then multiply that by 50!

 

[huskys rule]

Yes, but fallers have a saying here that goes "Little trees kill guys". Smaller ones always make home owners feel capable, but sometimes they don't give them the respect of a bigger tree. Just cut a firewood block off a little tree and feel how heavy it is, then multiply that by 50!

very true

 

[murphy4trees]

look at the picture

Look at the photo in post #3..
It is clearly and unmistakeably a dutchman caused by the floor cut of the face bypassing the roof cut by several inches... In which case the tree will move ever so slightly until the kerf closes and then will not budge until the hinge fails...

 

[John Ellison]

Yep, you are right, a full face dutchman is as common around here as the angled backcut. Usually used by someone who does not understand the mechanics of a hinge. They can get away with it occasionally as long as it is on a short tree.

 

[ozzy42]

Sad Sad Sad

 

[pdqdl]

Some years back, I had two guys working for me pulling on a rope attached to a huge oak. As it went over, they just stood there in the drop zone staring at it.

If we hadn't yelled "RUN!" at them, it would have all been over for them. They did, and we learned to explain even the obvious a little bit more clearly.

So maybe this incident is as simple as it seems.

 

[webberm249]

Some years back, I had two guys working for me pulling on a rope attached to a huge oak. As it went over, they just stood there in the drop zone staring at it.

If we hadn't yelled "RUN!" at them, it would have all been over for them. They did, and we learned to explain even the obvious a little bit more clearly.

So maybe this incident is as simple as it seems.

pdq, try to avoid hiring people with down syndrome, or people who show up to work with blood shot eyes that "smell funny"

 

[pdqdl]

Both were young and dumb. Not smelling funny, or otherwise afflicted. But certainly not too bright.

There is also the simple distraction of watching something spectacular to cause the inexperienced to forget common sense. Think of all the mistakes you hear about when some otherwise bright fellow gets distracted by a pretty girl.

The same thing can happen when you are watching a big tree come down.

 

[ropensaddle]

Both were young and dumb. Not smelling funny, or otherwise afflicted. But certainly not too bright.

There is also the simple distraction of watching something spectacular to cause the inexperienced to forget common sense. Think of all the mistakes you hear about when some otherwise bright fellow gets distracted by a pretty girl.

The same thing can happen when you are watching a big tree come down.

Which is why I use a rope twice the distance of the height of the tree so
they can get way back no yelling needed! Not picking just explaining my
technique of avoiding the dip **** syndrome now if they are experienced
and not clumsy I can adjust. Bad deal for the homeowner and his family
sure wish he would have posted here before attempting this but may not
have changed the outcome.

 

[leafmouldpete]

heart attack ?

Seeing as there hasn't been an outcome to the post-mortem ( that I've seen at least). Could it have been that the guy, who was in his late 50's, attached the rope, gave an almighty heave, promptly had a coronary, and the rest is obvious? Just a thought.