The elderly man who died after being struck by a falling log in a remote forestry site yesterday has been identified.
He was James Stuart Oxenham,72, of Urenui in north Taranaki.Mr Oxenham was struck by a log during a logging operation in the Te Wera Forest, east of Stratford, Taranaki, police said.It was believed the log fell off a truck, WorkSafe New Zealand said earlier.
Ambulance and police were called to the scene about 8.15am yesterday. Attempts were made to resuscitate Mr Oxenham, but he died at scene, police said.
Police and WorkSafe have launched investigations into the incident.It was the first forestry death reported since January last year, WorkSafe said.
The death was a tragedy for Mr Oxenham's family, his workmates and the tight-knit forestry community, WorkSafe chief executive Gordon MacDonald said."[His] death reconfirms the need for everyone in forestry to make safety their number one priority and to be vigilant around every element of forest operations," he said
