Tree trimmer pronounced dead after being found upside down, 50 feet above ground in Sherman Oaks

SHERMAN OAKS, Calif. (KABC) -- A man identified as a tree trimmer in his 70s was pronounced dead Saturday afternoon after he was found trapped upside down, about 50 feet above the ground, in Sherman Oaks, officials said.

"Though energized electrical wires were in or near the tree, their role, if any, in the man's death is presently unknown,'' the Los Angeles Fire Department said in a statement. The individual's identity was not immediately released.

Firefighter-paramedics responded shortly after noon to the 3000 block of North Coldwater Canyon Ave., the news release said.

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

"The man, now at ground level, has sadly been determined beyond medical help and is deceased at the scene,'' investigators said. His affiliation with the site and employer was unknown.

The cause of the man's death is under investigation.