A 45-year-old tree trimmer from Setauket was killed while cutting a tree in Head of the Harbor on Monday morning.
Suffolk County police said Erik Halvorsen, owner of Norse Tree Service in Setauket, was 50 feet up in a tree that he was trying to cut down in Avalon Park & Preserve on Harbor Road when the trunk splintered and trapped Halvorsen against the tree at 11:15 a.m.
Halvorsen, who was wearing a safety harness, tried to free himself when he fell 20 feet, police said. An employee then lowered Halvorsen to the ground.
The victim was taken to Stony Brook University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Homicide Squad detectives are continuing the investigation.
