By SHERIFF CHRIS SAILORS
FULTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT

ROCHESTER — Fulton County 911 received a call of a man down near or about the address of 3781 W. 500 N., Rochester, at 4:25 p.m. Saturday, April 9. The nature of the call, a man was hit by a tree and was not breathing or responsive.

Emergency units responded and when fire and EMS arrived they found a male subject deceased. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Department was also dispatched and a formal death investigation was initiated.

The male was identified as one Carl Andrew Richard, 55, of Rochester. Richard along with two other male subjects were in the process of cutting down a large tree near a barn on the farm. According to witnesses on scene, Richard was in the process of cutting down the tree when it fell and he was unable to get out of the path of the tree in time. Richard was struck by a 10-inch to 12-inch diameter limb approximately 15-foot in length. The limb broke from the falling tree resulting in blunt force trauma to the head resulting in his death.

An autopsy was performed on Sunday, April 10, and according to Fulton County Coroner Darin Beeker, pending further, his initial ruling will be an accidental death due to blunt force trauma.

Assisting the Fulton Sheriff’s Department in the investigation, Aubbeenaubbee Fire, Lutheran EMS and Fulton County Coroner’s Office.