Arborist hit by tree in Mill Valley, dies

A 37yearold arborist was killed in Mill Valley after a Eucalyptus tree he was cutting fell and struck him, marking what appears to be the first fatality this year in California for an industry known to be especially dangerous, officials said Tuesday.

Edgar Martin Ramos Martinez, a Guatemalan native who most recently lived in San Rafael, was working for a contracting service hired by a homeowners association when he was struck by a falling tree in between Blue Jay Way and Chamberlain Court, according to the Marin County Sheriff ’s Office.

Martinez suffered traumatic injuries to his head and body and was immediately rendered unconscious and unresponsive, officials said.

First responders found Martinez in cardiopulmonary arrest and paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene.

Frank Polizzi, a spokesman for Cal/ OSHA, said Martinez worked for Clements Tree Service Inc., based in Mill Valley. The tree he was cutting toppled over and hit other trees on its way down before Martinez was struck.

Clements Tree Service Inc. could not be immediately reached for comment Tuesday afternoon.

Polizzi said treecutting injuries and deaths have been on Cal/ OSHA’s “radar” for a while, because the work is hazardous and guided by specific regulations that are not always followed. People often think they possess the skills to cut trees because they know how to landscape or do other outdoor work.

“We have general safety regulations, as well as tree safety regulations,” Polizzi said.

Officials are probing to identify, and potentially correct, any violations of workplace safety regulations, Polizzi said. The incident was the first occupational treetrimming fatality Cal/ OSHA officials have received this year.

The most recent death before this week’s incident occurred in December, when a worker in Elk Grove (Sacramento County) was struck on the head by a falling tree limb and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

An autopsy and toxicology test will be conducted later this week to determine Martinez’s official cause of death.