Man Rescued from Woods Flown to Rochester After Tree Accident

Chatfield, MN (KROC-AM News)- The Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office rescued a man who was trapped under a tree near Rochester over the weekend. 

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Sheriff’s Captain Tim Parkin said deputies were dispatched to a heavily wooded area in the 9000 block of 80th Ave. Southeast around 10:15 Saturday morning. The man was trapped in woods that lie to the northwest of Chatfield and due east of the Rochester International Airport. 

Parkin said deputies needed a guide to find the man and used multiple pieces of equipment to extract him from the woods. The victim, described as a 58-year-old man from Chatfield, was removed from the woods and taken to an area where Mayo 1 was able to land. 

He was then flown to St. Mary’s Hospital in Rochester. Parkin described the man’s condition as possibly critical saying he was experiencing severe pain but was able to speak and communicate with first responders. 

Parkin said the initial investigation indicates the man was using machinery to remove trees and became trapped under a tree after exiting the equipment. The man’s name has not been released.

Saturday's incident was the second tree-related accident reported in Olmsted County. A 60-year-old Chatfield man was flown to St. Mary's Hospital in critical but stable condition Thursday evening after being involved in a tree-cutting accident in Dover.