Jay Hunsucker, R.I.P.

So very hard to write this report on the tragic death last week of Jay Hunsucker. Jay worked in the Title business, most recently Trinity Title, and was active in the North Texas real estate community; I considered him a friend and supporter. Last week, the 44-year-old young man, husband and father died from injuries sustained through a fall while retrieving holiday decorations from the attic of his Highland Village home.

Jay was up getting decorations from the attic of his Highland Village home near Village Parkway, when he took a wrong step and fell through the ceiling to the floor. The story was reported in the Dallas Morning News, but I first heard it from a colleague on Sunday. He suffered a head injury and died Friday night at a local hospital.

The Tarrant County medical examiner ruled that Hunsucker died of multiple blunt force injuries to his head. Unfortunately, that can happen in attics and homes on slab with high ceilings are steep, hard falls. The city of Highland Village reports three people have died in the last five years as a result of falling from the attic area, and warned homeowners to be cautious when getting out holiday decorations.

Our hearts go out to Jay, his wife and family. Though it is never the right time to lose a loved one, this is a particularly time of the year. Services for Jay Hunsucker are as follows:

Viewing – 6-8pm Wednesday 12/9 at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home in Colleyville. Funeral service will be held at 11am Thursday 12/10 Location TBD. 

Attics can be dangerous places. Experts say installing plywood on and over the studs in the attic to create a floor can help prevent a fall through the sheetrock or drywall ceiling. Those boards are not steady, though, unless you have a contracter secure them. That is why more builders are building attics with regular staircases and solid flooring for storage. Of course, decorating high spaces on the home’s exterior, and putting lights in tall trees, is not much safer.

Highland Village provided these safety tips for decorating your home’s exterior:

• Hire out if you can afford it. Particularly if you’re planning an over-the-top, extravagant array of holiday illuminations, think about hiring a pro to do it, so you’re not exposed to the fall risk.
• Assess your physical abilities and limitations. Do you have balance issues or are you taking blood thinners? Medications that increase the risk of bleeding should an injury arise should be a consideration when climbing ladders or working from any elevation, including roofs. (Or cutting/chopping anything!)
• Survey the weather. If you are doing it yourself, consider: Do you really need to install lights when it’s 10 degrees below freezing and icy? Always respect the weather—even if it means rescheduling.
• Make sure you have firm footing. Falls can occur from roofs and railings, and experts say they commonly involve a tumble from a ladder.

And some ladder safety tips:

• Choose a ladder that’s long enough for the job, one that extends at least three feet over the roofline or working surface.
• Put the ladder only on level, firm ground, and make sure it can support your weight.
• Set up the ladder at a 75 degree angle, and away from doors that could be opened or power lines.
• Always have a helper hold the ladder steady, and do not get on it alone or after everyone else has gone to bed, (she said, pleading guilty.)