A Minnesota tree trimmer accidentally killed his coworker with a hydraulic grapple while the two were playing with shadow puppets on the job. According to the Dakota County Attorney’s Office press release, 34-year-old Christopher Boone Crimmins was charged on August 21, 2026, with one count of second-degree manslaughter.

The charge comes from the criminal complaint filed around 7 p.m. on the August 20 incident. The complaint stated that the two coworkers were “f—ng around” with the shadow of equipment made by the sunlight.

Apple Valley police responded to an emergency call regarding a severely injured man at the 5200 block of 132nd Street West. The officers witnessed the 26-year-old Tyler Anthony Lynch lying on the ground in a pool of his blood. He had a “significant injury to his head.” According to the investigation, Crimmins told police officers that Lynch was his coworker, and both were working with a tree-trimming service.

 

At the time of the incident, Crimmins was operating the grapple while Lynch was picking up the branches from the ground. The two were messing around with the equipment as they played with the shadow formed by the grapple and Lynch. Crimmins operated the grapple to grab Lynch’s shadow; however, that’s when the horrific accident happened.

While playing with the shadow, Crimmins did not check on Lynch or how close the grapple was to him. He accidentally opened and closed the grapple, crushing Lynch’s head. 

Lynch was pronounced dead at the scene due to blood loss and his injuries. County Attorney Keena expressed her sympathies to Lynch’s family members and friends: “My deepest condolences to Mr. Lynch’s family members and friends, and all those affected by his death.” Meanwhile, Crimmins was being held at the Dakota County Jail on $40,000 bail or $20,000 bail with conditions. He is scheduled to appear in court on September 10 at 1:30 p.m. in Hastings.

Lynch is known on social media among his friends for his inspirational quotes and posts about tree trimming jobs. A Facebook user under his post wrote, “I can tell we lost one of the best. RIP buddy.”

According to a witness, the grapple movement either hit Lynch’s head or pinched it, causing the fatal injury. Currently, the case is under police investigation. The Occupational and Health Safety Administration will also investigate the accident, as the two were not following the right protocol.

At that time, Crimmins was the only crew member who was licensed to operate the boom. He may get up to 10 years in prison.

Disclaimer: The Inquisitr could not independently verify the facts of this incident and is reporting based on the information available within the public record.