A 66-year-old logger was killed on Tuesday after being hit in the chest by a tree while working in central Portugal.
Amável Rodrigues Querido was clearing land in Vale das Cuvas, located in the municipality of Caldas da Rainha, when the fatal workplace accident occurred. His niece, a professional nurse who reached the scene shortly after the incident, was already attempting cardiorespiratory resuscitation when emergency responders arrived while he still showed signs of life.
Emergency Response at the Scene
Nélson Cruz, commander of the Caldas da Rainha Volunteer Firefighters, said emergency responders found the victim lying unconscious on the ground next to the tree and the chainsaw. Cruz said that despite all emergency procedures carried out by rescue crews, a doctor arriving on a National Institute of Medical Emergency helicopter confirmed the man's death at the scene.
The National Institute of Medical Emergency, known as INEM, is Portugal's national agency responsible for coordinating emergency medical treatment and operating dispatch networks for medical helicopters. Local volunteer firefighter units serve as the primary first responders for medical emergencies and technical rescue operations across Portuguese municipalities.
Ravine Extraction Operation
The victim's body came to rest in a steep ravine area adjacent to a roadway, requiring specialized heavy equipment for recovery. Cruz said operators from the High-Angle Rescue Group utilized the crane mounted on their Special Assistance and Rescue Vehicle to transfer the body onto a high-angle stretcher before hoisting it out of the ravine.
Officers from the National Republican Guard, or GNR, deployed to the location and closed the road alongside the ravine while emergency crews performed the extraction. The GNR operates as Portugal's rural police and gendarmerie force, responsible for highway safety and securing crime or accident scenes outside urban municipal boundaries.
Workplace Safety Investigation
Inspectors from Portugal's Working Conditions Authority also attended the scene to begin an official inquiry into the circumstances of the fatal accident. The authority, known as ACT, is responsible for enforcing occupational safety regulations and investigating industrial and forestry workplace deaths across the country.
