Tree accident sends Freeland man to Harborview

Published 6:05 pm Thursday, November 19, 2015

A Freeland man was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center after being injured while working on his property Thursday afternoon.

It’s unclear how exactly the man was injured, but it appears he was working with a chainsaw and was struck by a section of tree he was cutting, authorities said. The man was conscious and talking to first responders, but his injuries were severe.

“It was bad enough to airlift him,” said Paul Busch, assistant chief of South Whidbey Fire/EMS.

Authorities declined to release the man’s identity due to federal privacy laws.

The accident occurred at approximately 1:30 p.m. on Goss Ridge Road, which is east of East Harbor Road. According to Ian Tully, a Whidbey General Hospital paramedic, the section of tree impacted the man’s left shoulder and the left side of his head.

“I suspect he’ll hopefully do OK,” he said. “But, he got hit pretty hard.”

The man was transported by ambulance to an open field behind Payless, where he was picked up by an Airlift Northwest helicopter and flown to Harborview in Seattle.

Tully said it was unclear why the man was working in his yard, but that he may have been cleaning up after the windstorm that rocked Whidbey on Tuesday.