Biltmore worker killed in high winds in 2nd tree-related death at NC landmark in a year
A worker at a well-known North Carolina tourist attraction died during high winds, marking at least the second tree-related death tied to the landmark in the past year, officials said.
The Biltmore Estate in Asheville said a tree fell, killing one of its workers on Saturday, April 1.
“This tragedy is devastating to all of us on the Biltmore team and we all feel the weight of this heartbreaking event,” the estate told McClatchy News in an emailed statement. “We are offering assistance to the family at this time and providing support to our employees who are impacted by the death of their friend and co-worker.”
The worker’s death was reported as the Asheville area saw peak wind gusts of 45 mph. The threat of strong winds caused power outages, forcing the iconic landmark to close in the late afternoon, officials said.
The estate, which WSPA reports had reopened as of April 2, didn’t identify the worker in its statement.
The death was reported less than a year after a tree limb crashed onto a car as a couple drove through the Biltmore Estate on June 17. The incident killed Casey Skudin, a New York City firefighter, McClatchy News reported.
His widow — who was on the trip to celebrate Father’s Day and Skudin’s birthday — later filed a wrongful death lawsuit, arguing the Biltmore Estate was “grossly negligent” in keeping the “rotten” tree near a road.
“I want answers and I want to make sure the rest of their property is safe so that no other person has to feel the pain of grief and loss that my entire family is feeling,” widow Angela Skudin wrote in a Facebook post.
At the time, spokesperson LeeAnn Donnelly told McClatchy News the estate planned to deny allegations of negligence.
“A portion of a tree fell during a period of high winds and struck the guest’s vehicle as they entered the estate,” Donnelly said in a statement. “There have been multiple eye witness accounts of a short duration high wind event around that time. There are no words to express our deep sorrow for the Skudin family’s unimaginable loss and we offer them our deepest sympathy.”
The Biltmore Estate told the Asheville Citizen-Times it had a catalog of trees to track which ones are near roads.
“There are approximately 5,000 trees tagged in this system, hundreds of which have been removed and some have fallen as a result of storms,” Donnelly told the newspaper. “Our arborist team includes certified arborists who follow best management practices for tree risk assessment in the management of these trees, as well as countless additional trees across the 8,000 acre estate.”
The estate in the mountains of Western North Carolina includes gardens, a winery and a 250-room house considered to be the largest private home in the United States.
In response to McClatchy News’ request for information, the N.C. Department of Labor in an email said it knows about the more recent death and plans for an inspection.
One man killed when two motorcycles collide at curve on Blue Ridge Parkway, park says
Man atop cliff at Grandfather Mountain falls to his death, North Carolina park says
