Abstract: At 11:00 a.m. on May 25, 2020, an employee was working as a groundsman on the first day of a tree removal project at a large residential property outside the city limits of Cloverdale. The crew, which included six employees and the company owner, was removing a large oak tree over 60 feet tall and approximately 4 feet in diameter. The employee was standing near the base of the tree and managing a rope system connected to a lowering device, intended to control the descent of a limb to protect an underground septic system. A coworker in the bucket of an aerial lift cut the branch attached to the system. As the branch fell, it swung toward the tree's base, struck the trunk, shattered into pieces, and hit the employee in the head. The employee sustained serious head injuries and was hospitalized for treatment.