Tree trimmer ID'd after being found dead hanging upside down, 50 feet above ground in Sherman Oaks

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. (CNS) -- A 70-year-old tree trimmer has been identified after being found dead, hanging in an upside down position approximately 50 feet above ground in a tree in Sherman Oaks.

The victim was identified by the coroner's office as David Cerigioni.

"Though energized electrical wires were in or near the tree, their role, if any, in the man's death is presently unknown," said Brian Humphrey of the Los Angeles Fire Department.

A tree trimmer was pronounced dead after he was found trapped upside down, 50 feet above the ground, in Sherman Oaks.

Firefighters and paramedics were dispatched at 12:07 p.m. Saturday to 3363 N. Coldwater Canyon Ave., Humphrey said. The area is in the hills above the San Fernando Valley, just north of Mulholland Drive and Franklin Canyon Park.

The department sent 39 firefighters, including those specially trained, equipped and certified for Urban Search & Rescue operations. They utilized a truck-mounted aerial ladder, rope and harness system to extricate Cerigioni.

Cerigioni died at the scene, Humphrey said. "His affiliation with the site and employer is unknown."