Man Dead After Being Crushed By Large Branch While Cutting Down Trees

A man has been reported dead after reportedly being pinned and crushed by a large branch while he was cutting down trees in Fairfax, Olivia, Minnesota on Tuesday, Sept. 13.

Officers from the Renville County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call requesting an ambulance after a tree fell on a man at around 10:43 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 13. Following this, officers responded to the address on 320th Street in Henryville Township, southwest of Olivia, and found 69-year-old Blair Anderson, of Fairfax, lying on the ground near several downed trees, West Central Tribune reported.

Anderson was reportedly cutting down trees in a grove on a rural farm site when a large branch connected to another tree broke off and fell on top of him. Even though Anderson was wearing head, eye, and ear protection, he suffered grievous injuries in the incident.

Medical personnel attempted life-saving measures on the 69-year-old man. However, Anderson succumbed to his injuries and died at the scene, KDUZ reported.

The Renville County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Olivia Ambulance Service, Olivia Fire and Rescue, Olivia Area Technical Rescue Team, and Life Link III in the operation.

In a similar but unrelated incident, a 7-year-old girl reportedly died after a tree fell on the tent she was sleeping in while camping in Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee on Wednesday, July 27, Latin Times reported.

The unnamed 7-year-old girl, who hails from Georgia and had come on a camping trip with her family, was reportedly crushed to death after a large red maple tree that was about 2 feet in diameter fell on her family's tent. The girl's father and two siblings, who were also in the tent, were not injured and survived the incident.

Emergency responders from Gatlinburg Fire Department, Gatlinburg Police Department, and the National Park Service responded to the site after they received an emergency call regarding the accident at the Elkmont Campground in Tennessee at 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 27. The responders declared the child dead at the scene and transported her body to a hospital for an autopsy.

Following the accident, the campgrounds remained open. However, the campsite and adjacent campsites were closed by the park as a precaution.