Duty of Care

On Sunday morning, October 11, 2026, Evaristo Bernabe Sanches died while trimming a eucalyptus tree near the 3900 block of Horton Road in Bonita, California, after Tropical Storm Rachel, according to coworker Benjamin Avila Saucedo and reporting by NBC 7 San Diego. Bonita-Sunnyside Fire Protection District officials had said a tree trimmer became trapped about 35 to 40 feet up and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Saucedo told NBC 7 a branch fell onto Sanches and that the safety rope pulled on him; the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department said a branch fell during the trimming and caused the rope to wrap around his body. Sheriff’s investigators are looking at whether weather was a factor. Cal/OSHA has been notified, and the medical examiner will determine the cause of death. Sanches owned a tree-trimming company and lived in Escondido.

For tree crews working at height, the defenses to check before anyone climbs are: a rescue plan for that tree with a trained rescuer and gear ready on the ground for the whole job; a look at the crown for hung, cracked, or storm-damaged limbs that can pin or trap a climber; and a check-in signal so the ground crew knows right away if the climber stops responding.

• NBC 7 San Diego
• FOX 5 San Diego & KUSI
• Hoodline