‘Man in tree’ descends from perch atop Seattle sequoia, ending 25-hour drama
A man spent about 25 hours perched on the top of a 24-metre sequoia tree in the middle of downtown Seattle, before finally climbing safely down.
As onlookers cheered and chanted “man in tree” — in deference to the Twitter hashtag by which he became known — he clambered down to the base of the conifer at noon on Wednesday and appeared to be chomping on a piece of fruit. Officers initially kept their distance, but soon approached the man, got him on a gurney and took him for a medical evaluation.
Reasons for the treetop drama remained unclear. At times, the man appeared agitated, gestured wildly, yelled and threw apples and branches at officers.
The department’s tweet was just part of the online commotion the incident sparked, with new Twitter accounts dedicated to it and the hashtag #ManInTree trending on Twitter and Facebook. A local TV station livestreamed video of the man online as he dozed, shouted and knocked around a stick.
Many passers-by, seeming bemused by the man’s antics, pulled out their cellphones Wednesday to snap pictures of his silhouette, accentuated by a long, bushy beard, against the gray morning sky.