Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Man trapped on palm tree rescued

|
|
 
  
Published: Jan. 8, 2009 at 12:32 PM

PHOENIX, Jan. 8 (UPI) -- Firefighters in Phoenix rescued a man trapped near the top of a palm tree as he was being crushed by a heavy piece of the tree, authorities said.

Capt. Frank Salomon of the Phoenix Fire Department said the unidentified man had been chopping off dead branches Wednesday when a large piece of the tree fell on the harness he wore, pinning him 20 feet up in the tree, KPHO-TV in Phoenix reported.

"Most people don't realize when you get this incredible ring, and they call it a ring, when it lands on somebody, it's an incredible amount of weight because it's years of old material that's been accumulating in this palm tree," Salomon said. "Once they release the pressure, all that weight comes down."

Firefighters were able to free the man using a ladder and hand tools. The man never lost consciousness during the extraction and was able to communicate with his rescuers, Salomon told KPHO-TV.

Following the rescue, the man was taken to a hospital with unspecified injuries.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China Super Bowl XLVI ticker tape victory parade The making of the Oscars
The Chicago Auto Show The Most Desirable Women of 2012 Tu Bishvat Migron settlement
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 30
Valentine's Day Ramallah, West Bank
View Caption
fark
I-Mockery's annual Valentine's Day card collection. The perfect gift for that special someone you...
Duke Sucks, the book
I don't expect witty repartee kid, just give me a sign when the diaper is full so I can wait it...
Looking for that perfect, discreet affair this Valentine's Day? Lucky for you, dating sites catering...
You step out of a shower and find a man snoring in your closet. What do you do? 1. Scream? 2. Run...
Sean Penn blasts Britain for not handing Falklands back to Argentina. That'll teach them