BASE jumper dangles in tree for 5 hours

By Brian Hickey, KCRA-TV

AUBURN — A BASE jumper was rescued under the Foresthill Bridge on Tuesday morning after his parachute got snagged in a tree.

CalFire rescuers were called to the bridge at 8:55pm Monday when the jumper’s parachute tangled in the branches of a 150-foot-tall pine tree.

The 26-year-old man from Canada was left dangling more than 100 feet above the ground for five hours while rescuers came up with a plan to lower him.

Rescuers used a bulldozer to dig a road to the base of the tree.

A PG&E truck with a 90-foot boom was then called in to raise rescuers up to the victim.

They were able to get the man out of his harness just after 2am, but left the parachute hanging in the tree, according to incident commander Jeff Brand.

The man was treated for minor injuries and then handed over to the Placer County Sheriff’s Office to be charged with illegally jumping from the bridge.

A friend of the victim was also in custody following the failed stunt.

CalFire rescuers said they were in the canyon for a similar rescue just a few months earlier.

Foresthill Bridge is the tallest bridge in California at 730 feet above the canyon floor, making it a popular destination for thrill seekers.