Tree trimmer dies after being rescued from 50-foot palm tree in Phoenix

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Tree trimmer dies after being rescued from 50-foot palm tree in Phoenix

The Brief

Crews rescued a man from a 50-foot palm tree on May 10, but he tragically died from his injuries.

He was working as a tree trimmer when authorities say a tree skirt fell on him, leaving him unresponsive.

Rescue teams used a rope system and drone technology to help lower the man from the tree.

PHOENIX – A tree trimmer was rescued from a 50-foot palm tree after a tree skirt fell on him, leaving the man unresponsive on May 10.

The family of the man, Jamie Yipiz-Solis,

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that he died from his injuries that same day.

What they’re saying

It took fire crews about an hour to reach the landscaper, who became trapped between the tree trunk and hundreds of palm fronds.

“They thought they had their safety precautions in place and then next thing you know, 911 was called and we went to work,” said Phoenix Fire Captain Scott Douglas. “They can fall down, and they can trap the tree trimmer around his waist. They can trap their chest where they’re not able to get full respirations, and they can’t essentially breathe. I don’t know if that’s what happened here, but they did use chainsaws to be able to freeze some of that dead skirt that was up there some of the dead foliage and be able to put the ladder truck right at his location and secure him and pull him off the tree.”

Watch FOX 10 Phoenix live:‘It was too late’

Jamie’s family is, of course, devastated. He leaves behind a large family, including two teenage daughters.

His family says he was an expert when it came to trimming palm fronds and had been doing it for over a decade.

“It was too late. He was yelling ‘help me, help me’ in spanish,” his family said. “I’m in so much pain, just like them. I am trying to be strong for them but I just cant.”

His daughters, who remember their final moments with their dad, say they are holding onto any little thing to remember him, like the hat he was wearing when the accident happened.

What we know

Rope systems and drone technology were used to help extricate the man off the tree in west Phoenix.

They also need chainsaws and a ladder truck to cut the palm fronds down and lower the man.

The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. near the intersection of 67th Avenue and Thomas Road.

Phoenix FD crews rescue tree trimmer from 50-foot palm tree (Phoenix Fire Department photo)

Local perspective

A neighbor said that it looked like the tree had never been trimmed before.

“He was working around and pulling the palm fronds out,” said Richard Chard, who has lived there for more than 50 years. “I heard some yelling and then there was nothing after that.

Big picture view

Experts say trimming these giant trees can take a toll on workers.

Jason Hawk, co-owner of Arbor Barbour Tree Co. said the fronds can quickly become heavy when layered on top of each other in a thick tree.

“You get all that weight crushing you, and it’s just a lot,” he said.

Map of where the incident happened:

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