DUNSTABLE, Mass. --
A Massachusetts skydiver had a rough landing Monday when he wound up dangling 75 to 100 feet up in a tree for almost three hours.
The skydiver got caught in a tree off River Road in Dunstable at about 10 a.m., Skydive Pepperell said.
"He did not steer where he was supposed to go, so he ended up steering himself into the trees," said Rob Arellanes, of Skydive Pepperell.
Skydive Pepperell workers were the first to the scene, but they had to wait until fire and rescue crews arrived to cut the man down from the tree.
"We talked to him, calmed him down, said, 'Hey, hang out. We are not going to get you down; don't do anything; stay where you are; stay in the harness; don't disconnect anything so you don’t hurt yourself.' And he was fine," Arellanes said. "He was just like, 'Oh man. I want to get out of here.' That is all you heard. 'Get me down.'"
David Goldstein, of Skydive Pepperell, said the man was not injured, but did complain of some discomfort and numbness from the harness.
"The gear is only meant to be worn for a few minutes while you are in free fall and in the canopy, and then he was there for quite some time. It cuts off circulation, makes him uncomfortable and it's a little bit painful, too," said Goldstein.
The man, who did not appear to be seriously injured, was able to yell to rescuers while he was in the tree, according to fire officials.
"His condition is fine at this point. He's conscious and alert. We have communication with him by voice from the ground, and he is responding favorably to us," Andover Fire Chief Michael Mansfield said.
The 35-year-old man, whose name was not released, was rescued from the tree at about 12:30 p.m. and taken to Lowell General Hospital.
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