Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Coroner says trimmer trapped in palm tree suffocated

Risks of trimming palm trees

A tree trimmer who died Monday after being trapped in a palm tree in North Las Vegas suffocated, according to the Clark County Coroner’s Office.

Carlos Dye, 49, of North Las Vegas died of positional or mechanical asphyxia, the Coroner’s Office said. His death was ruled accidental.

Positional asphyxia is a condition that arises because of a particular body position that causes mechanical interference with breathing, according to the National Institutes of Health.

Deaths from suffocation can occur when palm fronds collapse over a trimmer's head, pinning him to the tree. The California Department of Public Health created a YouTube video highlighting the danger faced by trimmers.

In this case, firefighters were alerted about 4:30 p.m. Monday to a man stuck in a 25- to 30-foot palm tree in the 1700 block of James Street, near Owens Avenue and Pecos Road, North Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Cedric Williams in a statement.

The victim was covered by palm fronds, which had to be cut down, Williams said. By the time rescuers reached the man, he was dead, he said.

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