HOLLIS, N.H. (WHDH) - Firefighters rescued a skydiver who landed in a tree in Hollis, N.H. Sunday evening, according to the Hollis Fire Department.
At around 7:07 p.m., Hollis firefighters responded to the area of 145 Runnells Bridge Road for a report of a man stuck in a tree around 250 feet off the roadway, the fire department said. When crews arrived, they found the skydiver about 50 feet up.
Newly licensed skydiver AJ Clarke was visiting New England from New York, and decided to go for a trip with Skydive Pepperell. Just as he tried to land back in the field where his flight took off, the winds picked up, he said in an interview.
“I was out at a distance where I couldn’t make it back, so I decided I’m going to have to land somewhere else, and the winds did not really permit that proper landing,” Clarke said.
He said he was expecting his parachute to allow him to dive down at a quicker rate, but he soon realized he was being pushed away from his target by the wind.
“I was like, ‘I might be going into these trees,’ so I was like, ‘Let me brace for landing,’ and I just hugged the tree, and I stayed there,” Clarke said.
Devin Philbrook, the manager of Skydive Pepperell, said the winds can be unpredictable and this was a case of Clarke misjudging his altitude.
“He was farther out over there than normal and he was under a larger canopy, and it was a little windy towards the end of the day,” Philbrook said.
Firefighters extended a firetruck ladder and two crew members rescued the man, bringing him safely to the ground.
First responders evaluated the man and found no injuries, the fire department said. The Pepperell Fire Department assisted at the scene.
“They were able to get him out very quickly. It took about 30 minutes, I would say,” Philbrook said.
Clarke, who is in the US Navy Reserve, said he was thankful to be alive.
“No matter what I’m going through, I like to stay positive, positive thoughts, make a little joke here and there, because I’m good, I’m alive, so I’m thankful to be alive,” Clarke said.
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