Tree trimmer rescued from 50-foot palm tree in Phoenix

Yahoo

11-05-2025

The Brief
Rescue teams had to help rescue a man from a 50-foot palm tree.
He was working as a tree trimmer when authorities say a tree skirt fell on him, leaving him unresponsive.
Rescue teams used a rope system and drone technology to help lower the man from the tree.
PHOENIX - A tree trimmer had to be rescued from a 50-foot palm tree after a tree skirt fell on him, leaving the man unresponsive.
He was taken to the hospital in extremely critical condition.
"They thought they had their safety precautions in place and then next thing you know, 911 was called and we went to work," said Phoenix Fire Captain Scott Douglas. "They can fall down and they can trap the tree trimmer around his waist. They can trap their chest where they're not able to get full respirations and they can't essentially breathe. I don't know if that's what happened here, but they did use chainsaws to be able to freeze some of that dead skirt that was up there some of the dead foliage and be able to put the ladder truck right at his location and secure him and pull him off the tree."
What we know
Rope systems and drone technology were used to help extricate the man off the tree in west Phoenix.
They also need chainsaws and a ladder truck to cut the palm fronds down and lower the man.
The incident happened around 9:30 a.m. near the intersection of 67th Avenue and Thomas Road.
Local perspective
A neighbor said that it looked like the tree had never been trimmed before.
"He was working around and pulling the palm fronds out," said Richard.
"I heard some yelling and then there was nothing after that."
Richard has lived there for more than 50 years.