The RCMP logo is seen on a podium ahead of a news conference, in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Saturday, June 24, 2023. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld)
A 50-year-old man has died after being struck by a falling tree at a remote worksite near Snow Lake on Wednesday.
Snow Lake RCMP officers were participating in Canada Day festivities at a local beach when they observed a helicopter land in the parking lot of the health centre at 1:25 p.m. A 21-year-old man exited the aircraft and attempted to alert medical staff inside.
Officers approached the man, who advised that a 50-year-old male inside the helicopter had sustained life-threatening injuries in a workplace accident. Officers, along with local EMS, hospital staff, and a Manitoba Conservation officer, helped remove the victim from the helicopter and rushed him inside for treatment.
The 21-year-old told police he was part of a four-person crew working at a remote site approximately two minutes away by helicopter, where they were clearing trees to create a helicopter landing zone. A worker cutting down a tree lost control of its fall direction, and the tree struck the 50-year-old man.
The victim later succumbed to his injuries in hospital.
RCMP officers were subsequently transported to the accident site to examine the scene. Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health has also been notified.
