A man was rescued from the side of a mountain in Sequatchie County after a paragliding accident, the Dunlap Fire Department said. The incident took place off Window Rock Road on Lewis Chapel Mountain early Thursday morning. Responders arrived at the scene just after 5:15 a.m. following reports of an older man in trouble. 

Fire crews found the man approximately 40 feet down the mountainside. He had what appeared to be a broken ankle.  Battling steep terrain, the rescue teams established a haul system. They used a basket to bring him up to safety. 

The Piney Volunteer Fire Department from Van Buren County assisted Dunlap’s crews in the rescue effort. The Sequatchie County Sheriff’s Department also responded to the scene.  After his extraction the man was evaluated by Puckett EMS. He elected to drive himself to a hospital rather than being transported by ambulance. 

The man told rescuers that he is a retired firefighter who lives out of state. There is no update yet on how the paragliding accident happened or what caused him to go over the edge. Officials have confirmed that his injuries are under evaluation.