'His Laugh Was Contagious': Friend Mourns The Loss Of 23-Year-Old Man Killed In Tree Trimming Accident

Friends remember the life of a 23-year-old Tahlequah man who died in an accident last week while trimming trees.

They said Dalton Stevens poured his heart into his work and loved ones.

Dalton's friends said he was a hard worker in the tree service and always put others before himself. It's why they hope to honor who he was.

It was a busy Friday as Travis Wyman and his crew worked to cut down trees in the front yard of a Tahlequah home. 

The cutting, cleaning and discarding of big branches were all part of Dalton Stevens' day-to-day. 

“I could see right off the bat he was a go-getter and a hard worker," said Wyman.

He owns Wyman’s Services and said Dalton reached out to him for work years ago.

Through working together, the two became close friends and Wyman became his mentor.

“His laugh was contagious, he had a huge laugh and was always making everyone laugh around him," said Wyman.

Dalton went on to start his own outdoor business but the two still worked together quite a bit.

Wyman said Dalton could find the positive in any situation.

“When we became good friends, I was going through some difficult times," said Wyman. "His positivity, the way he had my back, he was there and cared.”

Dalton was working on a property last week. He was in a bucket high above the ground with another tree trimmer taking down a Bradford Pear. 

Travis said something went wrong and Dalton was electrocuted by a power line.

“It was very difficult news to take for sure," he said.

Dalton was a family man who loved his wife Sara Webb and took pride in being an uncle.

Travis said everyone can learn something from how he treated others.

“He reaffirmed to me that love conquers all," Wyman said.

Travis says he plans to start a company in Dalton's honor that is all about safety to save lives in the future.

His memorial service is at 3 p.m. Saturday in Tahlequah. To access a GoFundMe account, CLICK HERE.