A tree trimmer died when he touched a power line while working along a highway northwest of the Twin Cities, authorities said.

The incident occurred about 12:30 p.m. Friday in Big Lake Township in the 14500 block of County Road 35, the Sherburne County Sheriff's Office said.

Noah J. Ness, 33, of Royalton, Minn., was on a ladder and trimming evergreen trees on the north side of the road, when he "apparently touched a power line and fell to the ground," read a statement from the Sheriff's Office.

Ness was taken to a Minneapolis hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the statement continued. He was working for Above All Tree Care at the time.

An online campaign that was started to help the family with funeral and other expenses said that Ness was engaged and leaves behind three daughters and a son.

Paul Walsh