Huntington landscaper dies on the job

September 02, 2008 | 10:50 PM Police are investigating the death of a landscaping company owner who apparently died while cutting down a tree Tuesday afternoon. Glorismel Gonzalez, 41, of Huntington, the owner of GMG Lawn and Garden Services, was contracted to cut down two trees at 38 Lawrence Hill Road in Huntington, police reported. Gonzalez and two workers started cutting down the first tree around 1 pm, they say. He then moved to the second tree and used a rope and harness to secure himself in the tree. Witnesses told police that Gonzalez was cutting a limb about 30 feet up in the second tree at 2:05 pm when a rope he was using got tangled around the tree, forcing his body up against it. The weight of the limb caused Gonzalez to be crushed while in the tree. The Huntington Manor Fire Department responded to the scene with harness equipment and removed him from the tree. Gonzalez was transported to Huntington Hospital where he was pronounced dead. The Suffolk County Medical Examiner will conduct further examinations to determine the exact cause of death. -- compiled from SCPD release pending further information