FORKS – A young Forks logger died when a tree fell on him on Tuesday.
Shain Keys, 23, was pronounced dead by Clallam County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Randy Pieper at the site of what may be investigated as an industrial accident.
The young man was working with his father, Carl Keys, who attempted unsuccessfully to revive him using cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
The logging operations was on private land about four miles along U.S. Forest Service Road 5900 from the Hoko-Ozette Road.
“He was cutting down an alder tree,” said Pieper, who also serves as a deputy coroner.
“A hemlock was leaning or was hung up, and it came down on him.”
Keys’ death is being investigated and an autopsy has been requested, Pieper said.
An investigator from the Department of Labor and Industries was at the site of the death Tuesday.
Keys’ death may be considered an industrial accident unless the autopsy shows other contributing factors, Pieper said.
It was “probably unavoidable. You never really can tell,” said Pieper.
“When cutting timber, it’s pretty unpredictable.”
