Logger Down, RIP Junior Hylton

[Ryan Willock]

On Tuesday this week one of my old timber cutting friends was killed in a timber falling accident. Junior if I'm not mistaken would have been 31 at the end of next month. He leaves a wife and children. He was the best timber cutter in Patrick county, Va and will be dearly missed. I don't yet have all the details of the accident but do know that he was killed by a falling tree. He had been cutting timber for over ten years, as well as having attended numerous timber falling safety courses. I've worked around him before and can attest to his safe work practices.

 

[Metals406]

My condolences. . . That just stinks.

May he rest in peace.

 

[RandyMac]

My God, so young, pray for his family.

 

[forestryworks]

Damn. That's a sobering reminder of how dangerous timber falling is. RIP.

 

[711ac]

There's not much you can say when you hear that kind of news, to friends or family. Maybe your buddy, Junior, in passing will help some folks here by reading this terrible news to take that extra step or few minutes thought that might protect them in their work!
Rest in Peace Junior.

 

[madhatte]

It's never not a surprise. Condolences, respect, sympathy. Be well.

 

[GASoline71]

Holy cats... very young. Sympathies to the family...

Gary

 

[Gologit]

I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.

 

[Ryan Willock]

Thank you for the replies. Please send your thoughts and prayers to his family, God knows they need it!

 

[Carl Anderson]

That's terrible. I will pray for Junior's family. So sorry you lost your friend.

 

[coastalfaller]

Very sorry to hear about this. My condolences.

 

[nw axe man]

Ryan, I'm so sorry to hear about your friend. I will bring his family up tomorrow at church and pray for their strength to weather their terrible loss. If there is such a thing as a silver lining from losing one our own fallers, it's to remember that it is appointed unto man once to die and be prepared for meeting our maker. We never know when our name is on the clipboard. Please send my sincerest condolences to his family.

 

[Oldtimer]

I believe your friend is now with every dog he ever had to bury, and is cutting 2000 bf pines on a 20 million acre lot with God's own personal skidder.

RIP.

 

[flushcut]

Sorry to hear that, stay safe guys

 

[hammerlogging]

Peace to him and friends and family.

 

[ChrisF]

Man... words lose all meaning when something like this happens.

R.i.p

 

[bobt]

I believe your friend is now with every dog he ever had to bury, and is cutting 2000 bf pines on a 20 million acre lot with God's own personal skidder.

RIP.

Amen!

 

[056kid]

Bad news man. I sure would like to know what happened. I remember boss man telling me about a young faller that got squashed from a tree he had set up and turned his back to summer before last.
hope the family pulls through.

 

[A&Atree]

sorry to hear about our friend, let my prayers be with you and his family

 

[Ryan Willock]

My current understanding of what happened is as follows (bare in mind that this info is third hand, while it came from a close friend who knows all parties involved he was NOT at the scene so this may not be 100% accurate, although both of us are 95% sure on it)

They had just moved into a new boundary of timber on a steep mountain side that week. Junior was starting at the back of the cut working a hole in the timber to drop more trees into. They had already built the skid road in to work off of and Junior was cutting below the road. The timber was a hardwood select cut with lots of grape vines in the timber. Junior had cut all the vines near his tree at ground level and was using directional felling, he was walking away from his tree as it was going over when he was struck by another tree. THIS IS THE POINT WHERE I AM CURRENTLY UNCLEAR, as to wither or not it was just the top or the whole tree that came down. Evidently the tree he was falling was still connected up top (VERY COMMON, in the vines, its like some one flew over and dropped a net over the canopy connecting all of the trees) and it brought the tree (top?) over on him as he was walking away, he just didn't see it. It broke him up pretty bad and as I understand (and hope for his sake) killed him instantly. He was wearing all PPE.

Please learn from this experience. Thank you for all of the prayers, please continue to direct them to his family.