13 Apr 2009

Falling tree kills volunteer firefighter

4:34 pm on 13 April 2009

A volunteer firefighter has been killed by a falling tree.

Police say the 30-year-old man, who was off-duty, was felling trees near Otautau in Southland on Sunday afternoon when one fell on top of him.

Another volunteer firefighter died in Ashburton four days earlier when he was struck by a falling branch from a burning tree.