Large tree falls on man, pinning him to tractor in 7,000-acre park, Florida cops say

A man was trapped when a large tree pinned him to a tractor inside a Florida nature preserve, according to the Alachua Police Department.

It happened around 12:55 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 20, in the 7,350-acre San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, police said in a news release.

The man was cognizant enough to call 911, but could not provide his location in the vast preserve, which is about 80 miles southwest of Jacksonville.

“The caller was working in the park on a tractor when a tree had fallen on him. (It) resulted in him being pinned between the tree and the tractor with difficulty breathing,” police said.

“With the help through the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Combined Communication Center, (police) gathered the caller’s GPS coordinates and pinpointed the location.”

A police officer located the tractor stalled in a open field, with the forked trunk of a large tree balanced atop it.

Rescuers removed the man and he was hospitalized with non-life threatening injuries, officials said.

The identity of the worker was not released. Police did not report what caused the tree’s ill-time collapse into the field.

This story was originally published September 21, 2023 at 10:46 AM with the headline "Large tree falls on man, pinning him to tractor in 7,000-acre park, Florida cops say."