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The incident took place around 2:12 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 7, when the Fairfield Fire Department received a report that two tree workers were trapped in a tree behind 85 Beacon View Drive, the department said on Facebook.
One of the workers had been working to remove a large limb from an adjacent tree when the limb dropped suddenly, crushing his leg and trapping it between the fallen limb and the crotch of the tree, the department said.
The second worker had climbed the tree to assist his fellow worker, but was unable to reach him.
When firefighters arrived on the scene and they assisted the would-be rescuer to safety.
The worker trapped in the tree was in a high, difficult to reach location complicated by branches other debris blocking rescuers access, the department said.
Firefighters used chain saws to clear away branches and gain access to the tree. Once the base of the tree was cleared they used portable ground ladders to gain access to the victim.
"Firefighters Frank Zwierlein and Rich Bassett, who had recently attended a special “Arborist Tree Rescue Class” applied the knowledge learned to construct a special haul system they used to lift the heavy branch that trapped the climber’s leg and also to secure the climber to a rescue harness and belay him safely to the ground," the department said.
Fairfield Ladder 2 was used to gain access to the victim and secure the high point anchor used to lift the tree branch and rescue the victim.
Bridgeport and Fairfield firefighters worked together to support rescue operations and safely remove the victim from harm.
“This was not our typical rescue," said Assistant Chief George Gomola. "This was a low-frequency high-risk rescue complicated by the height of the victim in the tree, the size of the branch trapping his leg, and the limited access afforded to rescuers."
The chief added that the professionalism and teamwork demonstrated by members of both departments were exemplary.
"My sincere thanks and appreciation to Bridgeport FD for their help with this difficult rescue, and to our Fairfield Firefighters for a job well done," he said.
The victim removed from the tree was transported to St. Vincent’s Medical Center by AMR.
Fairfield PD provided traffic control during the incident. Jeff Minder, the Town of Fairfield Tree Warden, and the Town of Fairfield DPW responded to support rescue operations as needed.
It took rescuers approximately one hour from the time of the call to safely remove the trapped man from the tree.
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