Tree trimmer electrocuted in Acworth
ACWORTH, Ga. - A man trimming some trees at an Acworth home on Monday hit a power line and was electrocuted.
SKYFOX 5 flew over Academy Street around 4 p.m. and spotted a cherry picker truck with a blue tarp over it.
"Hearing all the chaos and thinking the tree was going to fall on my house because it had been miscut, and to come out here, and to see someone hit the power line and lose his life so quickly. No one could do anything," said Robin Johnson, who lives across the street.
According to the Acworth Police Department, officers got the call around 2:40 p.m.
"When we got here, we saw he was in the trees and apparently hit a power line and was electrocuted at that time, and he was deceased," said Acworth Police Cpl. Eric Mistretta.
Cobb County firefighters had to remove the man's body that was still in the tree.
"The power company killed the power. They put some protective covers over the power lines where our crews would be working," said Cobb County Fire Lt. Steve Bennett.
Firefighters got on a platform at the top of a ladder from their ladder truck on one side and in a bucket truck on the other side.
"They were able to approach from both sides of the tree and respectfully and gently remove the gentleman's body from the tree," said Lt. Bennett.
"It's horrible, it's a horrible way to die," said Robert Carter, who lives on the street.
Neighbors say they didn't know the man but are heartbroken for his family.
They say what makes it even worse is that for months they have fought against this parcel of land being developed and any trees being removed. Now there's a much bigger loss that no one could ever have imagined.
"I just can't stop thinking about how that man went up that tree thinking things would be fine, and then never making it down," said Johnson.
The employee was from an independent tree service company, according to Acworth police. His name has not been released.
Investigators from OSHA were at the site for several hours taking a closer look at what happened.