A hunter in Michigan had to be rescued after falling backwards off a tree stand, hanging upside down and dangling about 40 feet from the ground for nearly two hours, resembling a human piñata.
According to Michigan Live, the hunter made his way up a tree Monday morning when he slipped off the hunting perch and his feet became caught in the rigging of the structure.
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Chelsea Area Fire Authority Capt. Scott Basar told the news outlet the hunter wasn’t wearing a safety harness at the time.
“He’s incredibly fortunate his feet got stuck,” Basar said.
The man managed to call 911 and crews found him close to 7:30 a.m. about a kilometre deep in the sticks. A technical rescue team was also called in to assist fire officials in efforts to lower the man safely from the tree.
The man told rescuers that he had lost feeling in his legs and was unable to climb down. His coat also slipped off his body when he fell.
“We were really worried about the blood flow to his legs and hypothermia out there,” Washtenaw County Technical Rescue Team deputy director Greg Payuer told Michigan Live.
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Photos show the team scaling the tree and rigging up a rope system to lower the trapped hunter to the ground.
The man was safely freed from the tree at around 9:40 a.m., over two hours since his ordeal began.