Falling branch kills gardener

A 77-year-old man died Friday afternoon when a fallen tree branch struck him as he was watering a garden at his San Rafael home, according to the Marin County Sheriff’s Office.

A fallen part of a eucalyptus tree struck the man while he was in the yard of his home, located at 99 Deer Park Ave., sheriff’s officials said.

When emergency crews arrived, they found the man pinned underneath the branch and tried to extricate him from underneath, according to sheriff’s officials.

At 3:39 p.m., however, the man was pronounced dead.

The victim has been identified as David Taylor Lumbard, sheriff’s officials said.

Investigators believe the tree had started leaning toward the man’s house over the past few months and that it had not been trimmed or maintained recently.

Sheriff’s officials are continuing to investigate the incident.