A tragic incident unfolded in Portland, Oregon, when a man was fatally crushed by a 1,200-pound tree stump he was attempting to remove from his backyard. The incident, which took place on Tuesday night, has been described by officials as a “catastrophic accident.” The identity of the victim has not yet been disclosed.
The man was a resident of the Russell neighborhood in Portland and had embarked on the task of removing the massive tree stump from his property. He was reportedly digging around the stump manually when the incident occurred. According to reports, the equipment he was using malfunctioned, leading to the fatal accident.
Portland Fire and Rescue crews were dispatched to the scene following the accident. They utilized a grip hoist to lift the stump off the man. However, despite their efforts, it was too late to save the man’s life.
The victim was found pinned under the half-ton stump the following morning, around 9:15 a.m. on Wednesday. His spouse was the one to discover the tragic scene. The exact duration the man was trapped under the stump before his death remains uncertain.
The Portland Police Department has now taken over the investigation of the incident. The circumstances surrounding the equipment failure and the exact cause of the accident are expected to be part of the investigation.
This tragic incident serves as a stark reminder of the potential dangers associated with handling heavy equipment and undertaking large-scale home improvement projects without professional assistance. Safety measures and precautions are crucial in such situations to prevent such unfortunate incidents.