A Triumph, East Coast Demerara (ECD) carpenter was crushed to death yesterday at Beterverwagting Housing Scheme, ECD by the coconut tree he was helping his brother cut down.
A police press release said George Edwards, 42, of Lot 67 Surat Drive, Triumph, died in the incident which occurred around 11:30 hrs yesterday at Lot 21 Beterverwagting Housing Scheme.
The police said enquiries disclosed that Mark Sibdhannie, a 54-year-old construction worker, had hired Edwards and his brother Steve Edwards, 30, to cut down a coconut tree.
According to reports, Steve Edwards went up the tree with a chainsaw to cut the top, while his George Edwards remained below with a rope that would direct where the tree fell.
Steve Edwards told the police that a few minutes later, he warned his brother the tree top was coming down, and then heard its impact. However, when he climbed down, he discovered his brother lying motionless on the ground and bleeding from his mouth and head. The coconut branches and part of the trunk were resting on his chest.
George Edwards was rushed to the Georgetown Public Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body is at the mortuary, awaiting a post-mortem examination, the police said.
