Although Hurricane Milton may be gone out of Florida, it's added to its death toll in the most unfortunate of ways. A woman celebrating her 73rd birthday died after a tree fell on her.
It's a very tragic and sad incident. It just goes to show you that you never know when it may be your turn to shuffle off the mortal coil. The Florida woman sadly perished after a large part of a tree fell on her. And on her birthday no less. Hurricane Milton appears to have weakened the tree, causing the tragedy.
Authorities confirmed the tragic passing. They responded to a call at 2800 block of N. Nebraska Ave around 11 a.m. local time on Thursday, Oct. 10. According to the call, "a large tree branch that had collapsed" and fell on top of the woman. Authorities found the woman still underneath the tree when they arrived to the location. Sadly, first responders ended up pronouncing her dead at the scene.
Woman Dies Cleaning Up After Hurricane Milton
Authorities confirmed that the deceased 73-year-old was Luisa Santos. In a sad twist of irony, Santos had just recently moved to the area. Her daughter, Wendy Tantozo, told ABC affiliate WFTS-TV that her mother cared deeply about the community. Sadly, that's what ended up costing her life. Santos had been trying to help clean up the community. Instead of waiting for a tree service, she took it upon herself to try to cut away a fallen tree.
She wanted the residents at Oakland Manor Assisted Living to be safe. "One of the branches was hanging and then she keep cutting the lower part, the one that was touching the ground," Tantozo's husband told the station. The branch ended up just falling on top of her.
In the hours prior to her death, her daughter said that her mother was very happy. She said that "everybody was greeting her happy birthday." The woman was very much loved by her family and friends. Authorities have ruled her death probably accidental."Our thoughts are with the family as they grieve their loved one," Chief Lee Bercaw said in the statement obtained by PEOPLE.
However, they are still investigating the incident. Meanwhile, Hurricane Milton ended up killing at least 16 when it made landfall.
