Freak accident kills tree trimmer in San Jose

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- Neighbors are being forced to shelter in place after a fatal freak accident involving a tree trimmer and power lines.

The tree trimmer was working in the back yard of a home for sale on Page Mill Drive on San Jose. Shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, emergency crews were dispatched to the scene on a report that the man was dangling from the tree, about 30 feet from the ground.

When first responders arrived, they found the tree trimmer dead, the victim of electrocution after somehow coming in contact with a high tension power line.

It was breezy in the Edenvale neighborhood of San Jose at the time, but it has not been established whether winds played a role in the accident.

The tree is in the back yard of a home that neighbors say is vacant and up for sale. San Jose Fire, paramedics, an ambulance and PG&E crews all responded to the scene.

The tree work was being done, ABC7 News believes, by a private landscaping service.

Firefighters had to follow strict guidelines to insure their safety. As long as the power lines were energized, they, too, were at risk of electrocution. It appeared the tree trimmer was properly secured to the tree.

Sky7 shows you that Page Mill Drive is lined with two story homes. That made the graphic scene clearly visible to much of the neighbors.

San Jose fire dispatched an aerial ladder in order to remove the body from the tree, but PG&E crews also responded with extension ladders and ropes to assist.

The name of the tree trimmer has not be released, nor the name of the tree service.