A tree service contractor died in Springfield, Virginia, after falling from a branch he had been cutting at a home on Sunday afternoon, Fairfax County police said.
Forty-five-year-old Culpeper resident Mauro Cruz Cortez was killed outside a residence on the 6500 block of Rivington Road around 2:30 p.m. when the tree limb he had been secured to snapped. He fell at least 40 feet to the ground.
First responders declared Cortez dead at the scene, Fairfax County police said. Detectives believe his death was an accident.
His cause of death has not yet been determined. No other injuries were reported.
Police, along with the Virginia Occupational Safety and Health Administration, are continuing to investigate.
Below is a map of the area:
