A California tree trimmer was killed in a horrifying workplace accident after a massive eucalyptus branch fell while he was working nearly 40 feet above the ground, leaving his longtime friend helplessly watching the tragedy unfold.
Evaristo Bernabe Sanches was trimming a tree in Bonita, just outside San Diego, on Sunday morning, October 11, when a falling branch became tangled in his safety ropes, trapping him high above the ground.
His friend and coworker of 28 years, Benjamin Avila Saucedo, was providing support from below when he heard a sudden cracking sound.
What happened next unfolded in a matter of seconds.
“I hear pop!” Saucedo recalled during an emotional interview with NBC 7 San Diego.
He explained that a large branch struck Sanches from behind, pushing him downward and pulling against the ropes attached to his body.
Saucedo immediately realized his friend was in serious trouble.
He rushed to find a ladder and attempted to reach Sanches, but the accident happened too quickly for him to intervene.
“He had like maybe 11 or 12 seconds only,” Saucedo said, describing his friend’s desperate final moments.
As Sanches struggled, Saucedo shouted for him to keep breathing, calling out “Paisa,” a familiar Spanish term used to address someone from the same country or region.
But his attempts to save his friend were unsuccessful.
Emergency crews received reports around 10:30 a.m. that a tree worker was trapped and unresponsive approximately 35 to 40 feet above the ground near the 3900 block of Horton Road.
Firefighters from Chula Vista, National City and San Miguel responded to assist because the Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Protection District was already handling another emergency.
Rescuers managed to reach Sanches and safely lower him from the tree, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
For Saucedo, the loss was devastating.
“My heart is broken because he was my friend for 28 years,” he told NBC 7.
The tragedy was made even more painful by a warning Saucedo said he had given his friend earlier that morning.
Southern California had experienced heavy rain and strong winds over the weekend as moisture from the remnants of Tropical Storm Rachel moved through the region.
Saucedo said he was concerned that the wet conditions could make the towering eucalyptus tree particularly dangerous to work on.
He recalled urging Sanches not to climb, warning that water-soaked trees could be more vulnerable to falling branches.
Despite those concerns, the work went ahead.
Investigators are now examining whether the recent storm contributed to the fatal accident.
Eucalyptus trees, which are not native to California, are common throughout San Diego County. Some species can shed large branches, and saturated ground and strong winds can increase the risk of tree failures.
The region has experienced previous tragedies involving the trees.
In 2025, a 4-year-old boy was killed by a falling branch at Villa La Jolla Park, while several eucalyptus trees toppled in San Diego’s Balboa Park during severe weather in 2023.
However, authorities have not determined whether the weekend rainfall weakened the branch involved in Sanches’ death.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, while the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health has also been notified.
The county medical examiner will determine Sanches’ official cause of death.
Beyond the questions surrounding the accident, loved ones are mourning a hardworking father who had spent years building a life in Southern California.
Sanches lived in Escondido and operated his own tree-trimming business.
He and Saucedo were originally from Guerrero, a state along Mexico’s Pacific coast, and their friendship had endured for nearly three decades.
According to Saucedo, Sanches worked tirelessly because he wanted to provide a better life for his relatives.
“He wanted to make money to bring his mom and sister here,” Saucedo said, explaining that his friend worried about their safety in Mexico.
Friends remembered Sanches as a devoted father and generous man who was always willing to help the people he loved.
In a heartbreaking coincidence, one of his final social media posts reportedly referenced another tree worker who had died on the job.
The message included a sobering reminder about how quickly life can change.
“Tomorrow’s never promised,” Sanches wrote.
Just weeks later, his own life ended while performing the dangerous work that supported his family.
The accident has renewed attention to the risks faced by professional tree trimmers, whose jobs frequently involve heavy equipment, unstable branches and working at significant heights.
Safety ropes and climbing equipment are essential protections, but falling limbs can create dangerous situations even for experienced workers.
Investigators have not announced whether any workplace safety violations occurred, and no official findings about responsibility for the accident have been released.
For Saucedo, however, the tragedy is far more personal than any investigation.
After 28 years of friendship, he is left mourning a man he tried desperately to save, knowing their final moments together unfolded just feet apart.
And as authorities work to determine exactly what went wrong, Sanches’ family is facing the heartbreaking loss of a father, friend and hardworking business owner who never made it home from work.
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