Tree Trimmer Trapped by Palm Fronds Rescued in Westlake District

A tree trimmer who became trapped in a palm tree Thursday after a frond fell on him was rescued by firefighters and taken to a local hospital for evaluation.

Fire crews were sent to 452 S. Bonnie Brae St. in the Westlake District shortly before noon.

The unidentified man, wedged in a cluster of fronds high in the tree, remained conscious, but complained of pain, apparently from the pressure of the fronds on his chest, according to a city fire spokesman.

Rescuers using an aerial ladder got the man out of the tree about 12:15 p.m. He complained of back pain, but had no obvious injuries, according to firefighters at the scene.

Palm fronds, especially in windy weather, regularly injure and kill tree trimmers, who may be crushed or otherwise hurt when the heavy branches enclose them.

-City News Service contributed to this report.