Tree Trimmer Dies After Being Pulled into Wood Chipper in California
A tree trimmer has died after falling into a wood chipper in California, authorities said Tuesday.
The incident occurred on the afternoon of Oct. 11 in Menlo Park, which is located in the San Francisco Bay Area, reported CBS.
According to NBC News, Menlo Park police officers were called to the scene at 12:53 p.m after receiving a report. The Menlo Park Fire Protection District and the San Mateo County Coroner's Office also responded but tragically the unnamed man had already died of his injuries but the time they reached the scene.
The Menlo Park police department was not immediately available for comment when contacted by PEOPLE.
"We all feel sick and sad," local resident Lisa Mitchell told ABC7, about the tragedy. "We're really sad. We're trying to imagine what the poor family and their fellow workers are feeling. And it's just, it's a lot. We just feel terrible."
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"We see a lot of their trucks," she added. "So, I can only imagine what they're feeling, because I'm sure they treat their employees like family and it's just, it's awful."
Mitchell added, "You hear about the possibilities of horrific things happening, but don't really know that they can. And today was clearly proof that they can."
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The Division of Occupational Safety and Health is investigating the tragedy and has six months to determine if there was a safety violation, per NBC.
The man's name has not yet been released pending the notification of his next of kin. Fellow workers said the company would not be releasing a statement, reported NBC.
