I wasn't suggesting that there would be a reason to cut down a tree in a survival situation, i was merely recasting the problem in another light to make the point that we don't know very much about this guy, his level of training, or his state of mind at the time.
Besides, i'm sure some of us have had fantasies about buying a little land with a cabin on it in the woods for vacations and/or retirement, and cutting wood for the stove. If i was lucky enough to have this happen, i think i would go ask a 'dumb logger' for some training first.
FWIW, lumberjacking ranks as the riskiest job, more dangerous than coal mining and deep sea fishing if memory serves.