Crime & Safety

Catonsville Landscaper Dies on the Job in Howard County

Michael Dingle owned Natural Way Design and Landscaping.

The owner of a Catonsville landscaping company died Tuesday when he fell along with the tree he was cutting down, according to Howard County Police.

Police found Michael Joseph Dingle, 40, unconscious and not breathing just after 10 a.m. when they responded to the 8500 block of Reservoir Road in Clarksville. 

According to police, Dingle, owner of Natural Way Design and Landscaping, was working in a tree with all of the rigging attached. Police say Dingle and his employee removed the top 15 to 20 feet of the tree; it went as planned.

Find out what's happening in Catonsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

After removing the top of the tree, however, the trunk uprooted, according to police. Dingle fell about 50 feet while still attached to the tree.

When police and EMS arrived, they were unable to resuscitate Dingle, according to police. He was pronounced dead at Howard County General Hospital shortly after 11 a.m. 

Find out what's happening in Catonsvillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the Natural Way website, Dingle was born and raised in Catonsville, starting his own business after having worked with another local landscaping business.

He was interested in using native plants and organic materials, according to the website, and made house calls to help customers create natural, organic habitats.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.