Tree falling accidents spark safety reminder

Two South Cariboo residents injured recently by falling trees

Two South Cariboo residents were injured recently by falling trees in separate, unrelated incidents.

A woman on Lakeshore Drive at Horse Lake was injured on Oct. 19 when she was struck by a falling tree in her yard.

100 Mile House Fire-Rescue chief Darrell Blades says his crew was called out to the scene to assist the British Columbia Ambulance Service.

While his department wasn’t on site long, he notes it was apparent the residents were doing some yard cleanup when a woman was hit by a falling tree.

She was not the one cutting the tree, but Blades explains when a large aspen tree came down she was impacted by several of the large, widespread branches.

“She got hit hard; she had some pretty serious injuries.”

About two weeks earlier in Lone Butte, a man getting his seasonal firewood was injured by a secondary tree that was knocked down by the one he was falling.

Lone Butte Volunteer Fire Department deputy chief Dave Fletcher says five members responded after the wounded man had crawled out to the forestry road just off of Holmes Road and was spotted by passers-by, who called 9-1-1.

With all the dead timber currently in the area, Fletcher notes folks should be aware that many have rotted out at the bottom causing them to be even more unstable.

Blades advises anyone who is cutting trees to be cautious when judging the height and determine a safe zone, and recommends using an experienced tree faller.

 

100 Mile House Free Press