A base jumper dangled 150 feet in the air for two hours after attempting to parachute off a communications tower late Thursday, officials said. The daredevil called authorities on his cellphone after getting stuck in the tower's wires about 15 miles south of St. Louis, fire officials told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Firefighters climbed the structure and handed a harness and a knife to the man. He later cut himself free and lowered himself to the ground.
Local 911 dispatcher Mike Wilson confirmed to NBC News that the parachutist called looking for help at 9:26 p.m. (10:26 p.m. ET) and was freed at 11:43 p.m. (12:43 p.m. ET). Wilson said he was not injured. As well as several police and fire emergency vehicles, photographs posted to Twitter showed a crowd of local residents gathered at the base of the tower who reportedly shouted encouragement to the rescuers.
