A tree service worker was killed Tuesday morning while clearing storm damage in Newtown Square, Delaware County, after a tree fell and struck him during a cleanup operation.
Authorities identified the victim as 43-year-old Gilberto Senecio Feregrino of West Chester. He was working with a crew from Flynn Tree Services on Earles Lane when the incident occurred. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene shortly after the collapse.
According to reports, the crew had been removing a downed tree following severe weather that moved through the region when a separate tree—one not being actively cut—fell unexpectedly and struck Feregrino.
The incident occurred in Newtown Township, a suburban community of about 15,000 residents in Delaware County, located west of Philadelphia.
The New Jersey– and Pennsylvania-based Flynn Tree Services operates across the region, providing tree removal, trimming, and emergency storm cleanup, work that often involves removing damaged or unstable trees after severe weather events.
Jeff Linton, owner of JC Linton Tree Service in Newtown Square, said the incident was especially difficult for those who work in the industry.
“I got 44 years doing this … I thank God every day that none of my guys have ever been hurt, nor have I,” Linton said.
The death occurred as crews across Delaware County continued clearing debris from trees brought down by the storm. Cleanup operations typically involve removing fallen trees, stabilizing damaged ones, and addressing hazards left behind by high winds and saturated ground conditions.
Authorities have not released additional details about what caused the tree to fall or whether the tree had been weakened prior to the incident. The case remains under investigation.
