Tree cutter who died on the job identified

DAHLONEGA - The man who died while cutting a tree on Ben Higgins Road in Lumpkin County Wednesday afternoon was Richard Paul Stringer, 50, Dahlonega.

Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office Deputy Chief Rob Hughey says his units were called to the scene just before 1:45 and it took rescue crews nearly an hour and a half to recover Stringer's body.

"[The caller] stated there was a gentleman in a tree having a seizure. We arrived on scene and found that the man was deceased upon our arrival," said Hughey.

Hughey said Stringer, who was a private contractor, was pinned to the tree by the ropes that were supporting him. He was caught in the tree about 25-30 feet above the ground. Rescue crews used a bucket truck from Amicalola EMC to recover his body.

At this point, an exact cause of death has not been released.