Deputies are conducting a death investigation after a work-related accident in Dunedin.
At about 3:31 p.m., on Tuesday, August 27, 2019, deputies responded to a residence located at 1489 Wetherington Way in Dunedin, after a tree limb had struck a man in the head.
When deputies arrived, paramedics from Palm Harbor Fire Rescue advised that 21-year-old Jacob Schrader of Largo had been taken to Mease Dunedin Hospital for life-threatening injuries.
Through the course of the investigation, deputies learned that the company, Tree Impressions of Florida, LLC, was hired by the homeowners and permitted to remove a tree from their yard.
Witnesses informed deputies that Schrader was standing at the base of the tree, utilizing a chainsaw to cut the trunk of the tree. As the tree began to fall, Schrader walked into the path of the falling tree, which struck him in the head.
Schrader died from his injuries at 3:56 p.m. at Mease Dunedin Hospital.
Deputies say Schrader’s death appears accidental in nature.
The homeowners were not home at the time of the incident.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was notified of the death investigation.