Glen Burnie Man Killed in Forest Hill Tree Trimming Accident; Falling Limb Traps Victim 30 Feet Up Tree

From the Harford County Volunteer Fire and EMS Association:

At 10:37 A.M. Thursday, Harford County 911 dispatched the Fallston Volunteer Fire and Ambulance Company to a report of a person trapped approximately 30 (thirty) feet above ground as a result of a tree trimming accident. Initial arriving units located the incident, in the 1700 block of Shanwick Court (Forest Hill), to the rear of the residence approximately 200 (two hundred) feet from the road.

The victim, a 24-year-old male employed by a local tree service, had climbed to a height of approximately thirty feet, and while trimming the tree, a section of an adjacent tree subsequently fell and trapped him between branches at that level. Rescue personnel attempted to reach the victim by ladder, but due to the extremely uneven and irregular terrain as well as the unstable tree sections above them, they were unable to safely complete the attempt. At this time, a bucket truck from the tree service company employing the victim arrived on the site and was placed over the embankment into the rear yard to allow emergency personnel access to the victim. A firefighter/paramedic was raised using the bucket truck to the level of the victim, at which time the victim was assessed and pronounced deceased. Learn here the safety precautions to properly remove the trees.

At this time the Harford County Sheriff’s office began their initial investigation of the incident, as well as notifying the Maryland Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Office of the State Medical Examiner of the incident. After all agencies had arrived completed their initial investigations, the complex task of recovering the victim was begun. In order to safely carry out this process, additional resources were brought to the scene in the form of personnel and equipment from Harford County Department of Public Works and a crew from an independent contracted tree service. As the required resources were assembled, plans were developed, members of the Fallston and Bel Air Volunteer Fire Companies ascended to the victim’s position using the bucket truck on site, cut away the unstable tree sections, and utilizing a rope and pulley system lowered the victim to the ground at approximately 3:10 P.M.

There were approximately sixty responding personnel from the Fallston and Bel Air Volunteer Fire Companies, Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland

Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Occupational Safety and Health, Office of the State Medical Examiner, Harford County DPW, Harford County Disaster Assistance, Asplundh Tree Expert Co, and Baltimore Gas and Electric Co., as well as co-workers of the victim operating on the scene under a unified command system. No injuries were reported to any of the responding personnel.

All of the responding agencies wish to express our condolences to the family and co-workers of the victim in this tragic accident.

From the Harford County Sheriff’s Office:

At approximately 10:30am on Thursday, August 11, 2011, Harford County Sheriff’s Office deputies and members of the Fallston and Bel Air Volunteer Fire Companies responded to a call for service in the 1700 block of Shanwick Road in Forest Hill, MD. The victim was attempting to cut a large tree branch when the limb fell, trapping him between the limb of the tree and the trunk of the tree approximately 30’ in the air. Elmer Andreas Galdamez, age 24, of Glen Burnie, MD was pronounced dead at the scene, by paramedics, due to injuries sustained in the accident.