Man dies in freak tree-cutting accident

A MAN in his 40s was killed instantly yesterday when a tree fell on him in a freak accident in west Cork.

John O’Donoghue, from Skibbereen, sustained fatal injuries after he became trapped beneath a tree he was cutting down.

The accident happened shortly before 4pm at a farm in Church Cross, four miles west of Skibbereen town.

Mr O’Donoghue, who worked as a farm hand and grave digger, was found dead by the farmer who owned the land at 4pm.

He had been assisting the farmer in felling the tree when the farmer was called away. Mr O’Donoghue was found dead by the farmer on his return.

Emergency services were called but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

A source at the scene said Mr O’Donoghue sustained catastrophic injuries that would have killed him instantly.