A logger suffered serious injuries when he was struck by the branch of a falling tree Wednesday morning in Pacific County.

Sequoyah Lorton, a 44-year-old timber faller, was cutting a tree near Menlo when a loose branch fell and hit him. According to family members, Lorton was then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The accident caused significant damage to Lorton’s back and gave him a broken shoulder and fractured neck.

Lorton’s mother Kathy said that since getting out of surgery he has lost feeling below the chest, but can still move his arms normally. She added that Lorton is still recovering from the surgery and does not yet have a timetable for a more thorough recovery.

Online on the GoFundMe page “Help Sequoyah and Family,” family members are raising money to help pay for their travel costs in order to stay with Lorton in Seattle,. As of Friday afternoon, thy had raised $950.

Lorton is a member of the Quinault Indian Nation, and grew up near Lake Quinault. His fiancée, Jen Allen, described him as someone who strives to help others, and as a good father who enjoys fishing and hunting.

“One day we went fishing, and had a whole bunch of fish. We stopped in Aberdeen and saw a homeless family that needed food, and he gave them the whole container of fish,” said Allen. “He just does things like that.”

His mother said hundreds of calls have come in wishing Lorton well since his injury.

(Courtesy Kelly Lorton) Pacific County logger Sequoyah Lorton.