Tree Trimmer Dies After Falling 20 Feet at Long Island Park

A 45-year-old man died after he fell 20 feet while he was attempting to cut down a tree at a Long Island park Monday morning, police said.

According to Suffolk Police, Erik Halvorsen, owner of Norse Tree Service in Setauket, was about 50 feet up in a tree when he attempted to cut the tree down in Avalon Park & Preserve located on Harbor Road in Stony Brook at about 11:15 a.m.

The tree trunk splintered and trapped Halvorsen, 45, against the tree, police said. Halvorsen, who was wearing a safety harness, attempted to free himself, but he fell 20 feet, police said.

An employee was able to lower Halvorsen to the ground. Halvorsen, of Setauket, was transported by a St. James Fire Department ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

It's the third death involving a tree trimmer on Long Island this year. In June, a 39-year-old man was electrocuted after he came in contact with PSEG power lines while trimming a tree in Commack. And in July, a 35-year-old man died after falling out of a bucket truck while cutting down trees in Lindenhurst.