Four-person crew was clearing trees to create a landing zone for helicopters
A 50-year-old man has died after being struck by a falling tree while clearing land for a helicopter landing zone at a remote work site near Snow Lake, Manitoba, an incident that has prompted a notification to Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health and an active RCMP investigation.
The fatality occurred at a remote site roughly two minutes away by helicopter from Snow Lake, where a four-person crew was clearing trees to create a landing zone for helicopters, RCMP said.
One crew member was cutting down a tree when it fell in an unintended direction and struck the victim.
RCMP said the incident came to officers' attention by chance on July 1, when Snow Lake members participating in Canada Day festivities observed a helicopter land near the local Health Centre. A 21-year-old man, later identified as a member of the work crew, exited the aircraft seeking medical staff for the injured man, who was taken inside and later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
Investigation and regulatory response
RCMP officers were later transported to the accident site to examine the scene as part of the ongoing investigation, the release said. Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health, the provincial regulator responsible for enforcing the Workplace Safety and Health Act, was also notified.
The release does not name the employer, the victim, or the nature of the broader worksite operation. It is not yet known whether Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health has opened a formal file, issued a stop-work order, or is considering charges under provincial legislation.
