Six-metre plunge for tree cutter
'I would advise against anyone not formally trained and experienced in cutting back large branches from undertaking the job'
A 59-year-old man is recovering in hospital after falling some six metres from a tree that he was cutting back from the road in Brackenham on Sunday.
According to reports, the victim fell onto sand that had been greatly softened by the recent rains.
‘I believe the soft sand played a big part in the gentleman’s survival. He was admitted to Netcare The Bay Hospital with shoulder and hip injuries and will most likely require surgery for his shoulder injuries,’ said IPSS paramedic Richard Schouten.
Paramedics treated the patient on the scene while Schouten used a chainsaw to systematically cut away a branch, estimated to weigh around 400kg, which was still partially suspended in the tree which posed a major threat to anyone in the proximity.
‘I would advise against anyone not formally trained and experienced in cutting back large branches from undertaking the job. They can be deceptively heavy and often fall where the victims don’t think they will.’
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