Tree-Trimmer Is Crushed to Death by Palm Fronds

A 35-year-old tree-trimmer died Friday afternoon when a large cluster of palm fronds he was working on 60 feet above ground slipped and apparently crushed him against the trunk of the tree, officials said.

Gaston Guadarrama of Costa Mesa was pronounced dead at the scene in Westminster as a rescue crew struggled to free him, said Orange County Fire Authority Capt. Stephen Miller.

It was the fourth or fifth such incident in the last six months handled by Orange County firefighters, though the first one that resulted in death, Miller said.

“I hate to say it, but it might be just one of the hazards of the job,” he said.

The incident occurred about 11:45 a.m. in the 9400 block of Mirage Avenue, near Bushard Street at the Westminster-Garden Grove border. The first crew on the scene called in a special aerial rescue unit but the trimmer was pronounced dead before they could cut him loose, Miller said.

The trimmer was using safety gear, including a harness to secure him to the tree to guard against falling, Miller said. As he worked, the ball of dead fronds -- Miller described it as a heavy collar -- slipped down, crushing the trimmer where he had strapped himself to the trunk.

The scenario was similar to previous incidents, Miller said. One person was critically injured in one instance but the rest resulted in minor injuries, he said.

Jose Camey, 36, lives in the neighborhood and watched the fire crew work. “It looked like [the trimmer] was up there cutting from underneath,” Camey said. “It looked like the section came down and landed on his head. From the waist up he was covered by branches. There was no movement.”