SATSUMA, Fla. – A man was found dead Monday morning after a large tree limb fell as he was trimming a tree in Satsuma over the weekend, according to the Putnam County Sheriff's Office.
The accidental death was reported just after 11 a.m. on Whitney Street in Satsuma, which is about 14 miles southwest of Palatka. Rescuers were called to a technical rescue, but the victim was found to have died at the scene.
Investigators said the victim was a do-it-yourselfer, not a professional tree trimmer, but that he had cut down trees before.
Family and friends said the victim was in his 60s, lived alone and left behind one son. They said he was actually trimming the tree on Saturday and his caretaker found him Monday morning.
Investigators, including the medical examiner, spent the day trying to figure out exactly what led up to the man being killed. His friends said they were stunned to hear what happened. The man's son found out early Monday afternoon.
"(His son) seems to be holding up," said Robert Hutchinson, who said he'd been friends with the victim for three decades. "He's distraught. It'll take a couple days for him to get squared away."
Hutchinson said he thinks the accident might have been avoided if the victim had someone with him or asked for help. Now he's left thinking about the kind of man his friend was.
"He was a nice guy, run-of-the-mill guy. He'd do anything in the world for you," Hutchinson said. "He liked farming. He liked his garden. I'm just wondering how little Kenny will put up with it and what's happening now."
The Sheriff's Office called it "an unfortunate accident" but hasn't released any further information about what happened.