Whangārei stump grinder death: Kevin Barry pulled into spinning blade
A coroner has released findings regarding the death of 69-year-old arborist Kevin Barry, who died after being pulled into a stump grinder in Whangārei. The report concluded that the injuries were unsurvivable and occurred while the victim was operating the machinery.
Why it matters
The incident underscores the extreme occupational hazards associated with heavy landscaping machinery and the importance of workplace safety protocols.
An arborist removing tree stumps in a residential street was grabbed by his shirt sleeve and pulled into the spinning blade of the machine he was using.
Kevin Barry, who only months earlier had started work as a groundsperson for an Auckland tree-maintenance firm, never had time to save himself.
The 69-year-old died in April last year from unsurvivable head injuries.
A coroner said in findings released today that Barry appeared to have got too close to the spinning cutter wheel in the large stump grinder he was operating.
The speed at which he was pulled into it meant he was unable to activate the emergency stop on the remote-control unit before being incapacitated.
A member of the public found him lying critically injured beside his vehicle.
The same witness used the emergency stop switch to turn off the machine.
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