A man was found in a tree east of Sauk Rapids after his aircraft failed to take off.

Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck says they got a call of a crashed aircraft around 6 p.m. Wednesday evening. At the scene they found 71-year-old Roger Violet of Sauk Rapids suspended 50 feet off the ground in his fan powered parachute. Violet told police he was trying to lift off but did not gain enough altitude to avoid crashing into the tree.

The Sauk Rapids Fire Department assisted the Sheriff’s Office in getting the man out of the tree. He was later transported to the St. Cloud Hospital for minor injuries.

Violet is a licensed pilot.