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Mottor said the man may have been attempting to install the cutout alongside the tree when his boat capsized.
"I can see what his intent was, but a practical joke isn't worth losing your life over," Mottor told the Hampshire Daily Gazette.
Authorities said the 48-year-old man is believed to have been in the water for about 30 minutes. Mottor estimated the water temperature was in the low 40s, "cold enough to cause hypothermia."
The man was hospitalized with symptoms of hypothermia that authorities said are not believed to be life-threatening. Police said they are not seeking charges as it does not appear any crime was committed.