HAPPY VALLEY, Ore. — Two arborists breaking down the setup of the Pickathon music festival were killed Thursday afternoon after the cherry picker they were in fell over.
The incident occurred at around 4:30 p.m. at Pendarvis Farm, off Southeast Hagen Road in Happy Valley. The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office said arborists were helping take down shades that were strung over the grounds at Pickathon, which ended on Sunday.
It's not yet known what caused the cherry picker, a four-wheel vehicle with an extension and a basket, to fall over.
There was a slight incline at the spot where the arborists were working, deputies said. The arborists were strapped into the basket and about 40 feet in the air when the cherry picker tilted and fell, according to the sheriff's office.
The medical examiner's office determined the deaths were likely accidental, deputies said.