A 68-year old-man fell from a tree stand yesterday afternoon while hunting in West Stockbridge resulting in his rescue and transfer to Baystate Medical Center in Springfield.

The man, who has not been identified at this time, was thankfully hunting with someone else who called 911 at 2:53 p.m. Sunday afternoon. The Berkshire Eagle reports the man was apparently paralyzed after falling from a tree stand as he tried to remove it from a tree. The stand is a platform that secures to trees in order to elevate the hunter and give them a better vantage point.

Multiple rescue crews and EMTs responded to where the men were hunting about two miles into the woods off Samantha Lane. The last quarter mile of the rescue, the mountainside got to steep for first responders ATV's, leaving rescuers to hike in further and carried the man out.

He was then airlifted by a Life Star helicopter to Baystate Medical Center, according to West Stockbridge Fire Chief Steven Traver. The Chief also noted the victim was very fortunate that the helicopter could land in a large, shaved cornfield nearby.

Traver told The Eagle the man fallen around 15 feet from the tree stand and couldn't feel his extremities, and mentioned that the man struggled with pain as responders carried him down the mountain to rescuers at East Alford Road.

The entire operation wrapped up at about 6:30 p.m., on what Traver said was a "cold, damp day. Everyone worked their tail off

W. Stockbridge Fire Chief Traver, via The Berkshire Eagle

In addition to West Stockbridge, firefighters from Richmond, Great Barrington and Alford also responded, as did crews with Southern Berkshire Ambulance.

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