OCOEE, Fla. – A 55-year-old man died Monday evening after falling from a tree he was attempting to trim ahead of Hurricane Dorian's arrival, according to Ocoee authorities.
Ocoee Battalion Fire Chief Edwin Youman said crews responded to the home on Suzette Drive at 6:22 p.m. The man, identified Wednesday as Joseph Waldon, had climbed about 15 feet into the tree with a chainsaw and as he cutting branches, he fell, according to Youman. Waldon was not using a ladder, Youman said.
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Police said Waldon was cutting a branch and when it broke free, it struck him and caused him to fall to the ground.
Waldon was taken to the hospital and was pronounced dead.
According to his family, Waldon was cutting a tree limb to make sure it didn't fall on the home. Family members say he was a grandfather and a hard worker.
The death marks the second in Central Florida Monday as people prepared for impacts from Hurricane Dorian.
"We need to be vigilant," Youman said. "We have people who can help us out and companies to do that because if you don't, these are the type of incidents that would happen, and we're facing the storm within the next couple of days."
A 68-year-old Indialantic man who was putting plywood on the windows of a beachside condominium fell three stories to his death Monday, reports News 6 partner Florida Today.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story said the man was 56 years old. The story has been updated to reflect that he was 55, according to his family.