Firefighters rescue man from palm tree

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080121/NEWS01/801210315

Nearly a ton of fronds fell on the man while he was trimming the tree, trapping him until help came
By DAVID CASTELLON

Firefighters say a man hired to trim a palm tree is lucky to have walked away unhurt, albeit dirty, after nearly a ton of palm fronds came crashing onto him Saturday morning in Strathmore.

The man was about 30 feet up the tree at Balfour Drive and Lawson Avenue after having climbed up with a climbing harness when a ring of fronds came crashing down on him about 10:30 a.m.
Tulare County Fire Battalion Chief Bill Whitendale said the harness, wrapped around the tree and the man's torso, kept him and the fronds from coming down. But the weight of the fronds caused the strap to tighten around the man — making it hard for him to breathe.

"We had the same thing happen about 10 years ago, and there was a fatality," Whitendale said.

It took firefighters nearly 50 minutes to yank and cut away the fronds, and toward the end, the man's breathing difficulties was getting critical, Whitendale said.

But once free, the man — whose name Whitendale did not know — was able to climb down a ladder on his own, and there was no indication of permanent injury, Whitendale said.

"The guy was lucky," he said.

[aquart]

1. That man has offended a goddess.

Probably Isis who doesn't like palm fronds cut. She prefers those that fall naturally, not harming the tree.

He should do something about this.

[Chovexani]

2. Great minds.

I was just thinking that.

[havocmom]

3. Dead and dry fronds left on the tree have a nasty habit

of turning the tree into a giant roman candle if any source of ignition is added. Have seen it. It's not pretty.

Wind comes up, sometimes power lines go down. Lots of dry fronds + sparks = unnatural death for the tree.

[aquart]

4. Then he should have apologized to the lady first.

And perhaps a little jewelry.

[havocmom]

5. Bling for the Goddess!

Yeah, the priests like that.

[aquart]

6. So they do.

[knitter4democracy]

7. He's darn lucky, that's for sure.

How scary.