Tree Falls on Los Gatos Trimmer, Killing Him

Santa Clara County fire crews were dispatched to 16860 Quarry Road shortly before 1 p.m. after a tree fell on the two men.

State investigators are looking into why one tree trimmer was killed, and a second trimmer injured after a tree fell on them Monday in Los Gatos.

Patricia Ortiz, a spokeswoman for the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health, told NBC Bay Area Tuesday that investigators learned of the death after the Los Gatos-Monte Sereno Police Department filed a report Monday.

Santa Clara County fire crews were dispatched to 16860 Quarry Road shortly before 1 p.m. after a tree fell on the two men. The man who was trapped under the tree was pronounced dead on the scene, according to the fire department. The other man was taken to Valley Medical Center in San Jose, and his injuries are not being disclosed.

According to OSHA's report, property records, and an interview with a neighbor, Thomas Grammer owns the property. He was unable to be reached for immediate comment. OSHA's investigations typically take from two to four months.

But Fred Bear, who has lived on the street for 49 years, said Grammer told him that he was planning to install natural gas and sewer lines on the rural property. Grammer was accompanied by two workers who were cutting down what appeared to be a California live oak with chain saws when the accident occurred, Bear said. The property has been vacant for years, after a fire destroyed the previous home there. Grammer is the new property owner.

"Cutting down trees can be very dangerous work," Bear said. "I don't know how much experience they had."

OSHA has up to six months to investigate. Ortiz said it typically takes investigators between two to four months to complete an investigation.

Contact Lisa Fernandez at lisa.fernandez@nbcuni.com or 408-432-4758. Follow her at Twitter.com/ljfernandez.

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