The final moments before a San Diego County tree trimmer died on the job Sunday were witnessed by his long-time friend and coworker. One of the safety ropes was still hanging from where Evaristo Bernabe Sanches died atop a eucalyptus tree near Horton Road in Bonita around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday mor ning. “My heart is broken because he was my friend for 28 years,” said co-worker Benjamin Avila Saucedo. He says he was on the ground providing support when it happened. “I hear pop! And a branch came on top of him in the back and pushed him down. He had the rope safety and the branch coming down and it pulled him. The rope killed him,” said Saucedo. Sheriff’s investigators said one of the tree branches fell during the trimming, causing the rope to wrap around his body. A day after his death, a huge branch still remained on the ground. Saucedo said he tried to ladder up to help Evaristo, but it happened too fast. “He had like maybe 11 or 12 seconds only. When he tried to move it, and then … no mas. I said, ‘Paisa! Paisa! Breathe in! Breathe in!'” Saucedo said. “Paisa” is a shorthand for the Spanish term “paisano“, which refers to someone who shares your home country or region. Both Saucedo and Sanches are from the Mexican state of Guerrero. Eucalyptus trees have a deadly history in San Diego County. From a 4-year-old boy killed by a fallen branch in 2025 at Villa La Jolla Park, to a woman injured when dozens came crashing down in Balboa Park in 2023. Eucalyptus trees are non-native to California and are known for falling over or dropping their large limbs, especially in wet and windy conditions like San Diego endured over the weekend from Tropical Storm Rachel. Despite their non-native status, they are found throughout the county. The sheriff’s department said they are investigating if weather was a factor in the incident. “I told him in the morning it’s very dangerous,  because it’s dangerous and the trees taking the water and it’s easily broken,” Saucedo said. Sanches owned the tree trimming company while living in Escondido. Friends and family describe him as a father with a huge heart, especially when it comes to helping his family “He wanted to make money to bring his mom and sister here [San Diego County] because Mexico is very dangerous,” Saucedo said. The dangers of Sanches’ job weren’t lost on him. One of his final social media posts last month was about a fellow tree trimmer who died. Sanches captioned it: Tomorrow’s never promised. The medical examiner’s office will determine Sanches’ cause of death. Cal/OSHA has also been notified. ...read more read less