Coroner finds DIY tree felling at Invercargill property killed Edwin Coulter
A New Zealand coroner has ruled that the death of Edwin Coulter, who was killed while felling a tree on his property, was a result of high-risk DIY work. The findings highlight the dangers of attempting complex forestry tasks without professional training.
Why it matters
The case serves as a public safety warning regarding the risks of DIY home maintenance and the importance of hiring qualified experts.
Edwin Coulter died while felling a pine tree on his Invercargill property. Photo / Warren Buckland
Edwin Coulter tried to contact an arborist to have pine trees on his property felled.
When that was unsuccessful, the 54-year-old took a “do it yourself” attitude and did it himself.
But on May 16, 2021, while using a chainsaw with not enough power and while suspended from the tree with a forestry pruning belt, he was struck in the chest by a falling branch that killed him instantly.
In coronial findings released today, Associate Coroner Dan Moore found Coulter was carrying out high-risk tree felling without training or formal experience in this area.
“This ‘do-it-yourself’ attitude is not uncommon in New Zealand; as a previous ad campaign has noted, it is practically part of the Kiwi DNA,” the coroner wrote.
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