Abstract: Employee #1, a tree trimmer with approximately ten months of experience, was secured to a redwood tree that he had just finished trimming to provide clearance for some power lines. As he began to rappel down, the 1 1/2 in. diameter branch he was tied to, broke. Employee #1 fell approximately 30 ft to the ground, breaking three other branches along the way. He sustained injuries that required hospitalization. Employee #1 was working with a foreman coworker at the time and was using proper climbing gear. The employer investigated and thought that the tie-off rope worked away from the base of the branch to a thinner part more prine to breaking. Employee #1 later stated that he believed the rope was at the base of the branch and that he had not done anything differently than he had on numerous other climbs. The cause of the branch breaking could not be determined.