Tree trimmer shares sickening ‘pop’ sound he heard as co-worker was killed in freak accident while atop eucalyptus

DAILYMAIL.COM • 2h ago

By ANANYA SWAROOP, US NEWS REPORTER 18:45 13 Oct 2026, updated 18:55 13 Oct 2026

A San Diego tree trimmer described his horror after witnessing his long-time friend and coworker’s death after a freak accident at work.

Benjamin Avila Saucedo was working with his friend, Evaristo Bernabe Sanches, near Horton Road in Bonita on Sunday morning when disaster struck.

As Sanches was hanging atop a eucalyptus tree, a branch he was trimming fell off, causing support ropes to wrap about his body.

‘My heart is broken because he was my friend for 28 years,’ Saucedo, who was providing ground support, said.

‘I hear pop! And a branch came on top of him in the back and pushed him down. He had the rope safety and the branch coming down and it pulled him. The rope killed him,’ he told NBC San Diego.

Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Protection District said they responded to a report of a man who was trapped and unresponsive approximately 35 to 40 feet above the ground, Fox 5 reports.

Officials were able to lower him from the tree, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Saucedo said he tried to ladder up to help his friend, but the tragic incident unfolded too quickly.

‘He had like maybe 11 or 12 seconds only. When he tried to move it, and then… no mas. I said, “Paisa [which means fellow countryman]! Paisa! Breathe in! Breathe in!”’ Saucedo said.

The sheriff’s department is investigating whether the weather played a role in the accident.

Eucalyptus trees, which are not native to California, are known to weaken and droop in wet conditions, like those San Diego faced over the weekend due to Tropical Storm Rachel.

Saucedo said that he had warned his friend about the dangers of trimming the tree after the torrential rains.

‘I told him in the morning it’s very dangerous, because it’s dangerous and the trees are taking the water and it’s easily broken,’ Saucedo said.

Both Saucedo and Sanches came from Guerrero, a state in southwestern Mexico bordered by the Pacific Ocean.

Sanches owned a tree trimming company in Escondido, NBC San Diego reported.

The outlet also reported that one of Sanches’ final social media posts referenced a tree trimmer who died on the job.

His friends and family described him as a loving father who would do anything to help his loved ones.

Saucedo said: ‘He wanted to make money to bring his mom and sister here because Mexico is very dangerous.’

The medical examiner’s office has not specified the cause of death. California Division of Occupational Safety and Health will also be investigating the matter.

The Daily Mail has reached out to the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health for comment.

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