Yelm area man trapped under tree, airlifted to Harborview
A man in his 40s was struck by a tree, then trapped beneath it Friday morning on his property south of Yelm.
The man was attempting to take down the tree in the 17500 block of Fennel Road Southeast when the tree hit him in the back as it fell on top of him.
Mark Gregory, the Bald Hills Fire Department chief, said the man had “crushing” injuries, but was conscious and responsive when medics arrived.
When the fire department reached the scene just after 10:30 a.m., the man had been removed from underneath the tree, which was about 15-18 inches in diameter where it hit him, Gregory estimated.
“His vitals seemed stable,” Gregory said. “Family members lifted the tree off of him with an excavator.”
Gregory said the fire and medical units that responded continued to keep the man stable on the way to Cougar Mountain Airfield less than two miles away.
He was then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
Lauren Smith: 360-754-5473, @smithlm12
This story was originally published June 2, 2017 at 1:30 PM with the headline "Yelm area man trapped under tree, airlifted to Harborview."