A tree trimmer died in Pasadena on Saturday as he was cutting dead fronds from a 60-foot palm tree, according to police.
The man was at the top of the tree when a witness heard him yell for help. He was tethered to the tree and suspended there until firefighters arrived and removed his body with a ladder, according to the Pasadena Police.
It wasn’t immediately clear why he died, but a large quantity of fronds was discovered on top of him. "He may have had a heart attack. He may have suffocated," Pasadena Police Lt. Thomas Delgado said.
The incident occurred about 11 a.m. at a private residence in the 500 block of South Oak Knoll Avenue. The witness went into the house to call 911 after hearing the man’s cries for help.
Police said the man’s identity had not yet been released to the public because family members had yet to be notified. He was, however, described as a Sun Valley resident.
— Margot Roosevelt