An incredible rescue took place in San Jose, California, when a tree worker ended up dangling about 75 feet above the ground after suffering a medical emergency while cutting down a palm tree. The worker’s harness held him in place, but his chainsaw continued running and power lines were nearby, complicating the situation. He was reported to be in and out of consciousness.
CAL FIRE responded and carried out a helicopter-based rescue — the first time the agency had executed this specific type of operation. A rescuer rappelled from the helicopter to reach the trapped worker, contending with wind and the presence of power lines. The rescuer managed to secure himself to the worker by clipping his harness onto the trapped man. Rather than hoisting them both into the helicopter, the rescuer chose to rappel down the tree, carefully controlling the descent while carrying the injured worker. As they neared the ground, the rescuer unclipped the worker’s harness and carried him the rest of the way down.
The entire operation took a little over an hour. Emergency crews on the ground were waiting to provide medical attention once the worker was brought down. The worker was taken to a hospital and was receiving care; authorities and responders said many things could have gone wrong during the rescue, but the team successfully got him to safety.