By Alvin Buyinza
masslive.com
EAST BRIDGEWATER, Mass. —First responders rescued a hurt tree worker who was stuck in a tree that was over 40 feet above the ground in East Bridgewater on Wednesday afternoon.
The incident happened around 10:59 a.m. in the backyard of a home on Northridge Drive, according to the East Bridgewater Police Department.
The unnamed tree worker, who was in a safety harness, climbed the tree using shoe spikes and was using a chainsaw when a piece of the tree that was falling kicked back and broke his arm, the department said.
The tree worker lost some blood, but was still conscious, the department said. The tree worker was stuck about 47 feet above the ground. The pine tree was isolated in a wooded backyard area.
Firefighters initially went to the scene with an engine tower and an ambulance, but when they arrived, they quickly determined that this situation called for a specialized rescue, the department said.
Rescue teams used a 35-foot ground ladder, placed it against the tree and then used ropes, pulleys and harnesses to reach the tree worker, the department said. A rescue worker put the tree worker in a harness and lowered him to the ground.
The tree worker was treated at the scene and then taken to a nearby landing zone, where he was flown to Tufts Medical Center in Boston, the department said.
Officials from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration investigated the scene, the department said.
“This was great work by all involved — police, fire and EMS — at the scene,” Michael Jenkins, the East Bridgewater chief, said in a statement. “We thank everyone involved for their prompt response in helping to rescue this man who was so high up in a dangerous situation.”
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