Tree falls on man cutting it down

HOUSTON – A man was flown to a hospital after a tree came crashing down on him in northwest Harris County.

Two men were cutting the tree from the base of the tree at a home on Bamwood near Ella about 10:15 a.m. Thursday, which officials said caused it to topple over.

Some neighbors said the men did not appear to know what they were doing.

"He seemed to be really uncoordinated," Flor Sanchez said. "He kept cutting and watching."

Witness Albert Sanchez said the men seemed to have an unconventional way of cutting trees down.

"We were worried because after he cut it, he started to put the rope on the tree," Sanchez said. "We figured he should have supported it first."

Sanchez said he thought the men should have taken the tree down in pieces instead of taking all of it down from the base.

"The guy just cut straight through and whenever they were trying to get the support ropes to throw it on there, it was just wobbling around," he said.

Officials said the men were trying to get the tree to fall north, but it fell west instead. The tree hit one of the men and threw him into the air.

The man was taken by helicopter to Memorial Hermann Hospital. Officials said he suffered head injuries.

Officials have not said if the men were licensed tree cutters.