A tree trimmer was rushed to a hospital in extremely critical condition after part of a 50-foot palm tree's "skirt," or the dried fronds that hang from the trunk, fell on him.

Phoenix firefighters responded to a residence near 65th and Virginia avenues at around 9:30 a.m. May 10 after receiving reports from the trimmer's coworkers that he had become unresponsive.

"Technicians arrived and began using rope systems with drone technology, accompanied with ground ladders to attempt to extricate the individual," department spokesperson Capt. Scott Douglas said in a statement. "Firefighters ultimately used chainsaws from the bucket of a ladder truck to cut away palm fronds and secure the man and lower him down from the tree."

Douglas said the man was taken to the hospital in extremely critical condition. The Phoenix Fire Department did not immediately respond to questions regarding the man's condition, as of May 11.

When palm trees injure and kill

The May 10 incident was not the first time a palm tree trimmer was injured or killed. A professional tree trimmer died after he was trapped underneath palm fronds in 2020 at a home near Indianola Avenue and 18th Street in Phoenix.

Another tree trimmer was pronounced dead in 1990 after hundreds of pounds of dead fronds fell on him at a home in west Phoenix that caused him to suffocate, according to The Arizona Republic archives.

How to maintain your trees and stay safe

LoriAnne Barnett Warren with the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management previously told The Republic that palm trees should especially be properly maintained as the skirts are very heavy and can potentially injure people.

"Palms are definitely something that should be maintained because the flower stalks — or inflorescences, as they are technically called — can become a hazard," Barnett Warren said.

Most of the species we have, Mexican and California fan palms, put out stalks in late April through June, she said. Those can dry out and become a hazard.

"The skirts (the dead remains of fronds that have fallen or been trimmed) attached to the tree are also very heavy and can injure people if they are in highly trafficked areas and they blow down in a storm," Barnett Warren said.

Barnett Warren recommended hiring a certified arborist for pruning palm trees as doing so can be quite dangerous and pruning too much could cause it to die.