22-year-old tree trimmer dies when branch pins him 50 feet in the air, Florida cops say

A 22-year-old tree trimmer was killed in Naples when a branch fell and pinned him at least 50 feet in the air, authorities in southwest Florida said.

Nelson Louis Tutputul died on the job the morning of Jan. 6, according to an incident report from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office.

Witnesses said Tutputul was at a home cutting down a large tree branch using a chainsaw when a strong gust of wind caused the branch to fall on him, deputies reported.

The branch pinned him against the tree, and he hung there unconscious.

Tutputul’s brother told deputies he tried to cut down the branch and save him, but the branch snapped in the process. The 21-year-old fell 50 feet and was taken to a hospital with non life-threatening injuries, deputies said.

“He knew he had to go up the tree to rescue his brother,” the Tutputul’s uncle told WBBH.

A roofing company brought over a forklift to help fire rescuers reach the unresponsive tree trimmer. It took an hour to get him down, at which point he was pronounced dead.

“It’s sad because now I don’t have any contact with Louis,” his brother told WBBH.

This story was originally published January 11, 2024 at 3:45 PM with the headline "22-year-old tree trimmer dies when branch pins him 50 feet in the air, Florida cops say."