Video shows pilot rescue after plane crashes into trees in Manville

A small Cessna that crashed in a wooded area near the Millstone River in Manville created quite a rescue scenario. How do you get a pilot out of the remains of a Cessna 172 that’s stuck more than 7 stories high in treetops?

The drama began around noon Tuesday when the pilot experienced a stall on approach to Central Jersey Regional Airport in Hillsborough. It was reported by the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office that the pilot was the plane’s only occupant and he survived the crash but was trapped 75 feet above the ground.

Authorities said the pilot stayed in contact with rescuers by cell phone as they formed a plan.

It took workers from a local tree company with a bucket truck and rescuers climbing trees then repelling down to the wreckage to free the pilot to get him out, NJ.com reported.

Authorities say the man was taken out of the plane through its windshield. The rescue took about four hours, after which the pilot was brought to a local hospital but did not sustain serious injuries according to authorities.

The above video from NJ.com shows part of that rescue effort.