A North Side man tumbled some 100 feet down a steep hillside Monday before his leg got caught on a three-inch sapling, preventing him from falling the rest of the way, city firefighters and paramedics said. The 62-year-old man, whose name was not released, was taken to Allegheny General Hospital for treatment. "He was pretty lucky," said city fire Capt. John Ungerman from Engine Co. 38. "The sapling kept him from falling the rest of the way. He can thank the good Lord for Earth Day." Preliminary reports indicate that the man was intoxicated and sitting on a rail near his home on Sprain Street in the Fineview neighborhood when he tumbled backward shortly before 5 p.m. and slid down the slopes overlooking Interstate 279. Ungerman said he could not confirm those reports but said the man was found perched on a ledge about 40 feet above Howard Street, not far from some city steps. Firefighters and paramedics rappelled down the hillside and eventually lowered the man to Howard Street.

---

Copyright ©2025— Trib Total Media, LLC (TribLIVE.com)

---