A San Diego tree trimmer described his horror after witnessing his long-time friend and coworker's death after a freak accident at work.
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friend → describe → work
Benjamin Avila Saucedo was working with his friend, Evaristo Bernabe Sanches, near Horton Road in Bonita on Sunday morning when disaster struck.
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disaster → work → morning
As Sanches was hanging atop a eucalyptus tree, a branch he was trimming fell off, causing support ropes to wrap about his body.
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ropes → hang → body
‘My heart is broken because he was my friend for 28 years,’ Saucedo, who was providing ground support, said.
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who → break → support
‘I hear pop!
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I → hear → pop
And a branch came on top of him in the back and pushed him down.
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branch → come → him
He had the rope safety and the branch coming down and it pulled him.
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it → have → him
The rope killed him,’ he told NBC San Diego.
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he → kill → NBC
Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Protection District said they responded to a report of a man who was trapped and unresponsive approximately 35 to 40 feet above the ground, Fox 5 reports.
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Fox → say → ground
Officials were able to lower him from the tree, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
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he → lower → scene
Saucedo said he tried to ladder up to help his friend, but the tragic incident unfolded too quickly.
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incident → say → friend
Evaristo Bernabe Sanches was killed in a freak accident while atop a eucalyptus tree
Benjamin Avila Saucedo was on the ground, helpless watching the tragedy unfold.
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tragedy → kill → ground
He said he had warned his friend and co-worker not to climb the tree because it had rained during the weekend
‘
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it → say → weekend
He had like maybe 11 or 12 seconds only.
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He → have → seconds
When he tried to move it, and then... no mas.
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he → try → it
I said, “Paisa [which means fellow countryman]! Paisa!
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which → say → countryman
Breathe in! Breathe in!”’ Saucedo said.
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Saucedo → breathe → Breathe
The sheriff's department is investigating whether the weather played a role in the accident.
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weather → investigate → accident
Eucalyptus trees, which are not native to California, are known to weaken and droop in wet conditions, like those San Diego faced over the weekend due to Tropical Storm Rachel.
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Diego → know → Rachel
Saucedo said that he had warned his friend about the dangers of trimming the tree after the torrential rains.
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he → say → rains
‘I told him in the morning it's very dangerous, because it's dangerous and the trees are taking the water and it's easily broken,' Saucedo said.
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Saucedo → tell → water
Both Saucedo and Sanches came from Guerrero, a state in southwestern Mexico bordered by the Pacific Ocean.
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Saucedo → come → Ocean
The trees can become weak and droop in bad weather (stock image)
Tropical Storm Rachel battered parts of California over the weekend.
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Rachel → become → weekend
Officials are questioning if the weather played a role in the tragic accident
Sanches owned a tree trimming company in Escondido, NBC San Diego reported.
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NBC → question → Escondido
The outlet also reported that one of Sanches' final social media posts referenced a tree trimmer who died on the job.
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who → report → job
His friends and family described him as a loving father who would do anything to help his loved ones.
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who → describe → ones
Saucedo said: ‘He wanted to make money to bring his mom and sister here because Mexico is very dangerous.’
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Mexico → say → mom
The medical examiner's office has not specified the cause of death.
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office → specify → death
California Division of Occupational Safety and Health will also be investigating the matter.
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Division → investigate → matter
The Daily Mail has reached out to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health for comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
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