Abstract: At 3:00 p.m. on August 20, 1998, Employee #1 and coworkers were wrapping wire rope chokers around two felled trees to move them into a clearing for trimming. The chokers were attached to the winch line of a skidder approximately 30 ft away. One of the trees was lodged at an angle to the other, and as the winch started to pull on them, the lodged tree rolled over and struck Employee #1 in the head and back. He sustained severe injuries, for which he was hospitalized. Employee #1 was inexperienced and apparently was not aware of how to position himself safely when the trees were being moved. He had not been provided any personal protective equipment. The coworkers were also untrained in safety procedures for felling trees and skidding them with wire rope chokers and, upon inspection, the chokers were found to be defective. The crew was in a remote area in the woods and had no plan or means to contact emergency services for help in transporting an injured employee.