INCLINE VILLAGE - A tree-trimming accident in Crystal Bay Wednesday morning left one man, Alexandro Delgado, 23, in an unlisted condition, Washoe Medical Center officials said.
The 10:21 a.m. accident involved a rope-and-pulley system used for hauling brush up a hill in front of a private home on Lakeview Drive just above the Tahoe Biltmore.
The rope snapped under the weight of the brush, and the pulley system fell on top of Delgado, landing on his hip and causing a compound fracture of his femur.
The accident severed the femoral artery in his leg, law enforcement officials said.
Washoe County Sheriff's Office Incline Village Substation deputy Eric Fredrickson happened to be driving by the site as the accident occurred.
"Had (Fredrickson) not been there, the guy may have bled to death," said Sgt. Carl Barrett, a spokesman for the sheriff's office.
"Though the accident was a bad one, it was fortunate (for Delgado) that someone was driving by."
Fredrickson immediately called Care Flight, and "within minutes" Delgado was airlifted to Washoe Medical Center.
Wednesday afternoon, Beth Moxley, owner of Reno and Kings Beach-based Rockwood Tree Service, for which Delgado works, said, "He's in surgery right now. It's touch and go, from what we hear," she said. "I was able to go on-site (when it) happened. I held (Delgado's) hand ... This is our first accident in 25 years."
A preliminary investigation by Nevada Occupational Safety and Health Administration is under way, but so far the tree service has not been found at fault for the accident, one official said.