Udupi: Toddy extractor loses consciousness, hangs for 2 hrs from palm tree

Belmannu: A man who had been doing business as tody extractor for nearly 20 years lost consciousness and was hanging from a palm tree for nearly two hours on Tuesday, July 15.

He survived after the entire ordeal.

The toddy extractor, identified as Santosh, went about his climbing palm tree at about 6 am. For an unknown reason, he lost consciousness and fell. However, as he had a harness around him, he was stuck hanging from the tree.

The tree was next to a road but no passerby tried to rescue him.

Sudhakar Salian, the owner of the Porlu Lunch Home, came by in his car and after seeing the crowd of people on the road and Santosh hanging from the tree immediately called the fire department.

Sudhakar also called from nearby villages two palm tree climbers Narayan and Dinesh who arrived just as the fire department vehicle also arrived.

The fire department officials along with the locals brought Santsoh down from the tree with the aid of ropes.

Santosh regained consciousness right when he was put in Sudhakar’s car to be taken to the hospital.

Two years ago Santosh’s brother had committed suicide by hanging himself on a palm tree.