Tree trimmer found dead, hanging from tree 50 feet above ground in Studio City
The circumstances surrounding the death of a local tree trimmer, who was found dead Saturday afternoon - hanging upside down from a tree, nearly 50 feet above ground - are still unknown.
CBS reporters were on the scene Saturday, where they spoke with authorities investigating the incident.
"They did find approximately a 70-year-old male, unconscious suspended up on a tree," said Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief Joe Lopez.
Rescue crews, compiled of firefighters and paramedics, were first dispatched to the scene just before 12:10 p.m. on Coldwater Canyon Avenue. The area is located in the hills above the San Fernando Valley.
39 firefighters were on the scene, many of which were certified for Urban Search and Rescue operations. In order to extricate the man, they used a rope and harness system and a truck-mount aerial ladder.
They were able to lower the man to ground level, where they attempted to perform life-saving techniques, but they said he was already dead by the time he reached the ground.
The investigators are working to determine if the man or his tools came in contact the utility cables or power line in the proximity of where he was trimming trees.
"There were high-power tension lines into the tree," said Lopez. "When the assessment to the body was made, there was a slight trauma to his lower-left leg."
"In this case, we can't rule out the power lines or not," he continued.
It was still unclear which tree trimming company the man was employed by, though Los Angeles Police Department officials did disclose that it through was a private business hired by the homeowner. He was reportedly one of a group of tree trimmers working on the property Saturday.
Residents in the neighborhood are shaken by the incident.
"That's really scary," said one. "That's awful!"
That sentiment was echoed by nearly everyone CBS reporters spoke to.
"God bless him and his family. Isn't that just terrible?" said another neighbor.
The Department of Water and Power was called to the area, where they shut down power temporarily to aid with the investigation. According to those on scene, Cal/OSHA (California Division of Occupational Safety and Health) was also contacted for an additional inquiry.