Man killed after tree he was cutting fell on him as six-year-old son looked on

A MAN has died after being trapped by a tree he was attempting to cut down.

The tragic accident was witnessed by the man’s six-year-old son who had accompanied his father yesterday morning to a heavily wooded area just outside Delgany, Co Wicklow.

The man, named locally as 47-year-old Eamonn Smith, was attempting to cut down the tree which had been damaged by recent high winds.

However, he ended up trapped underneath the tree and suffered fatal injuries as a result.

The victim was pronounced dead at the scene at around 12.15pm.

The full details of the death are still unclear but tragically it was the man’s young son who raised the alarm.

Ambulance units from Wicklow Town attended the scene as did units from the Bray fire brigade.

According to local sources, the man was cutting down a single tree in Drummin, close to the villages of Kilquade and Delgany.

A garda spokesman said the tragedy was being treated as an “accidental death”.

As well as a young son, the deceased, who worked as a tiler and also installed fireplaces, has an infant daughter, according to friends.

The family had moved to the area some six years ago from south Dublin.

Fr Liam Belton, the local parish priest, said the area was “numbed” by the tragedy.

“It was such a beautiful day here and this man went out to chop fire wood it’s such a terrible tragedy,” he said.

“The man was such a hard worker, in fact people know him as a person who worked very hard to provide for his family constantly.”

Ciarán Hayden, the Fianna Fáil mayor of nearby Greystones, said the area was shocked by the news.

“It’s just a tragic accident,” he said. “My thoughts are with the man’s family.

“For such a terrible thing to happen on a day like today is an awful tragedy.”