Tree-cutter dies after accident leaves him hanging 30 feet in air, Utah officials say
A 49-year-old man died after a tree-cutting accident in which part of the tree fell on him, leaving him hanging 30 feet in the air, officials in Utah said.
Santos Baudilio Lopez Perez was cutting the upper part of a tree on March 19 when he was struck, the Kaysville Police Department said in a March 20 post on Facebook.
Perez was connected to the tree by a harness and was left “suspended in the air,” police said.
The Kaysville Fire Department estimated the height to be 30 feet.
The fire department’s “rope rescue technicians quickly set up a lowering system, attaching the patient and safely bringing them to the ground,” the agency said in a March 19 post on Facebook, noting other fire departments also were called in to help.
Perez was flown to a hospital but died later in the day, police said.
Loved ones said in a GoFundMe that Perez was a married father of five from Guatemala. They described him as a “smiling, happy and friendly person.”
“Santos Baudilio was a hardworking man, dedicated to his work, and always made sure to follow safety precautions,” according to the GoFundMe. “His passing was a devastating accident that left his family and loved ones heartbroken.”
Kaysville is about a 25-mile drive north from Salt Lake City.
This story was originally published March 21, 2025 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Tree-cutter dies after accident leaves him hanging 30 feet in air, Utah officials say."
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