Parachutist rescued after clinging to tree in Maine
Man hit tall oak tree, was knocked out of parachute's seat; he dropped before grabbing limb 75 feet above ground
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By Craig Crosby
The Morning Sentinel
LITCHFIELD, Maine — A local man was left clinging to a tree limb more than 70 feet in the air Sunday after a gust of wind blew his powered parachute out of control.
John Beganny, 66, was taken by ambulance to an area hospital with non life-threatening cuts to his head and face, said Sgt. Scott Taylor of the Kennebec County Sheriff's Office. He was unsure where Beganny was taken for treatment.
Beganny was flying his powered parachute — a parachute powered by a large fan mounted to wheels and a seat — when the crash occurred around 1:45 p.m., near 99 Libby Road, about three miles from Beganny's Richmond Road home.
Witnesses said Beganny dropped down low just before the accident.
"He waved to them and as he gunned it to try to get back up it got windy and it pushed him over into a tree," Taylor said.
Beganny hit the tall oak tree and was knocked out of the parachute's seat. He dropped a few feet before grabbing a limb, Taylor said. Beganny was clinging to the limb, about 75 feet in the air, when rescuers arrived.
The Gardiner Fire Department responded with its ladder truck to rescue Beganny from the tree. He was back on the ground by 2:30 p.m.
Central Maine Power shut off power to lines in the area, which only impacted a few houses, Taylor said.
Litchfield firefighters and the Maine Warden Service also responded, Taylor said.
Dispatchers called the Federal Aviation Administration by Taylor said they do not intend to investigate the crash.
Beganny's aircraft was still stuck in the tree Sunday afternoon.
"The fire department is trying to figure out what they're going to do to get it down," Taylor said. "They've talked about getting a crane."
Beganny's craft has become a familiar site in the skies around Litchfield.
"He's been doing this for two years and he does it quite often," Taylor said. "He's pretty good with it."
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