ROME – A man from Oakland died Tuesday when he fell 50 to 60 feet from a large tree that he was pruning and landed on his back.
Derrick Spiller, 34, who was self-employed, had just cut limbs at the top of the tree at 643 Watson Pond Road when one of his cleats let go and he fell to the ground, said Stephen McCausland, spokesman for the Maine Department of Public Safety.
The accident was reported at 11:57 a.m. at a property with a seasonal camp.
Rome and Belgrade rescuers and Delta ambulance responded, while a LifeFlight helicopter was put on standby, according to Rome Fire Chief Gary Foss, who also responded.
Maine State Police Trooper Joshua Birmingham also arrived on the scene.
There were a couple of witnesses to the accident, Foss said, including a man who “saw him tumble and fall and at that time he was gasping for breath.” But “when we got there, he had no pulse and was not breathing,” Foss said.
“We did CPR for 45 minutes and LifeFlight did land.”
Rescuers couldn’t revive Spiller, so he was not transported by LifeFlight. A funeral home was called to take the body, Foss said.
Spiller was not wearing a helmet, but was equipped with a harness that appeared to be intact, Foss said.
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