"He was a great father, he was someone who would always fill your day with joy," Erandi Bautista said describing her late father.
She's holding tight onto her father's memory after he was killed earlier this week while trimming a palm tree in Bonita. Heavy fronds of the tree collapsed on Bardomiano Bautista as he was suspended near the top of the tree about 50 feet off the ground.
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"He was always there for anyone, would make you laugh, would take you anywhere, would do the sweetest things for you," Erandi said.
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She said her father loved his job and spent 13 years working as a tree trimmer. She even recalls her mother expressing her concern to him about the risks of the job.
"My dad would always tell her that he didn't want to leave that job because he loved it and he was very passionate about it," she said.
Erandi was in school Monday when her mother texted her to let her know what happened.
"She just said sorry, that nothing was able to be done that he died. So it was really unexpected. I wasn't expecting that at all. So, I just started crying in the office," she said.
Erandi said she's still in disbelief. On Sunday they had a family movie night. Bautista said that night her father stopped by her room and gave her his blessing. She said she still waits for him to come home to tell him how much she loves him and misses him.
