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Westside Jacksonville man rescued after getting stuck in tree

A Jacksonville man had to be rescued by fire crews after getting stuck in a tree Wednesday.

The Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department responded to Lorient Drive and found the man about 50 feet up in the tree.

“The fireman asked how he felt. He said 'close to God,'” Luana Sears said.

The man’s family said he was trimming trees when he accidentally dropped his emergency line. Sears said she wasn’t worried about her son-in-law.

“I was actually laughing at him,” Sears said.

It took over an hour and 25 crew members to get the man down safely.

“He let out a sigh of relief and was just happy to be on the ground,” Sears said.

Jack Griggs, the battalion chief for the Special Operations team with JFRD, said they use extreme caution with high-angle rescues.

“It was intense, but it’s something we train for every day,” Griggs said.

After the rescue, the man thanked fire crews and took a picture with them.

Man stuck in tree in Jacksonville

JACKSONVILLE MAN STUCK IN TREE: This is the scene on Lorient Drive ... crews are trying to rescue a man who is stuck in a tree. He’s about 35 to 40 feet high. Christy Turner Action News Jax was told he was trimming the tree when he dropped the line.

Posted by Action News Jax on Wednesday, April 25, 2018