Florida man dies after being pulled into woodchipper

An employee of a tree trimming service was killed Tuesday when he was pulled into a woodchipper while working at a government building in South Florida, according to local officials.

The incident happened at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday when a crew from Carlton’s Tree Service was working at the town hall in Ocean Ridge, about 12 miles south of West Palm Beach.

Town manager Lynne Ladner said the crew had been working for less than 30 minutes when the gruesome accident occurred.

“The individual was working by themselves during tree trimming and feeding a woodchipper,” Ladner told WPTV. “Other members of the crew saw it happening and immediately began responding, as did our staff and officers.”

The victim, who is originally from Mexico, was pulled from the woodchipper and pronounced dead at the scene. No one else was injured.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the circumstances of Tuesday’s accident. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue is providing grief counseling to those affected.