Jan. 07--LAS CRUCES -- As they watched firefighters rescue an injured colleague dangling precariously from a pine tree Monday, two experienced tree trimmers talked about the pain of touching power lines.
Said William Dean, who works with a local landscape company: "It feels like a million bee stings."
The life's work of Craig Benavidez, unfortunately, has subjected him to both.
Six months after Africanized bees swarmed him on a job near the historic Alameda House, the 52-year-old Benavidez suffered another serious injury -- this time electric shock. Police and co-workers said that Benavidez accidentally contacted a nearby power line while trimming a pine tree on O'Donnell Drive.
A Las Cruces Police Department spokesman described Benavidez's condition as critical Monday afternoon. He was breathing on his own. Emergency responders airlifted him to University Medical Center of El Paso.
Kim Beasley, who lives at the house where Benavidez had been working when he was shocked, said she called him to take down an Afghan pine. Thirty-two years ago, Beasley said, it served as the family's Christmas tree. It had grown tall enough to be a potential hazard to the power lines.
Benavidez recently had worked to prune a palm tree in the backyard of Beasley's daughter. That's why Beasley called him, she said. Beasley said Benavidez -- known as the Axe Man -- is "thorough" and "does a wonderful job."
Beasley called 911 at about 11 a.m. after hearing yelling from
her backyard.
Suspended by a safety harness attached to his hips, Benavidez hung motionless for several minutes. He faced the sky, with his head and feet drooping toward the ground 30 feet below.
"Horrible," Beasley said of the scene.
Jim Sherman, a supervisor with a local landscaping company, was driving on an adjacent street Monday morning. He saw the fire engines and police cars. He recognized Benavidez's pickup truck.
"I knew exactly what had happened," Sherman said, adding that he looped around and stopped to see if he could help the rescue.
Sherman said it can be difficult for even the most seasoned arborist to know what a tree will do when it's cut. Branches can twist in unexpected directions.
"I won't touch any tree that's (near a wire)," Sherman said.
Added Dean: "Anything could go wrong."
Eventually Benavidez could be seen moving. After officials cut power to the immediate area, a technical rescue team from the Las Cruces Fire Department worked to free Benavidez.
One firefighter climbed a ladder, took Benavidez's chain saw and dropped it to the ground, then climbed into the tree's only remaining branches. That's when another firefighter helped to lower Benavidez.
As emergency responders wheeled Benavidez to an ambulance, he appeared to have burns to his feet. A co-worker said Benavidez was wearing thick metal spurs to help climb the tree.
Benavidez's mother, who arrived at the scene after firefighters had brought him to the ground, said her son has never before been shocked. He has worked as an arborist for more than 30 years.
Last July he was trimming a cottonwood when bees -- later determined to be Africanized -- attacked him. That time, Benavidez's coworkers had to cut him from a harness to save him. Sherman said Benavidez fell about 20 feet to the ground.
James Staley may be reached at 575-541-5476. Follow him on Twitter @auguststaley
(1 p.m. update)
LAS CRUCES -- A longtime Las Cruces arborist is in critical condition this afternoon after he suffered electric shock while trimming a tree.
Chainsaw by his side, Craig Benavidez, 52, dangled from a pine he had been pruning for several minutes Monday on the 2000 block of O'Donnell Drive before fire fighters rescued him. He reportedly hit a nearby power line after cutting a branch.
Las Cruces Police spokesman Dan Trujillo said Benavidez is in critical condition. Authorities planned to fly Benavidez to an El Paso hospital, but weren't sure this morning if he'd be able to -- Benavidez was breathing on his own, but writhing and moaning as he was on a stretcher, which could preclude him from riding in the ambulance helicopter, Trujillo said.
Benavidez, who boasts 30 years experience on his work pickup truck, was swarmed by Africanized bees near the Alameda House last summer, colleagues on the scene said.
Copyright 2013 - Las Cruces Sun-News, N.M.
