"As the tree was falling I happened to see a man:" Tree smashes jogger in freak accident

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The North Shore Fire Department tells FOX6 News that a man in his 60s was transported to Froedtert Hospital by Flight for Life Saturday morning, June 28th after a tree fell on him.

Along Fox Lane and River Drive, crews work to clean-up the aftermath of a freak accident.

A morning run turned terrifying, and a grim scene unfolded feet from runners Sari Edelman and Danielle Winston.

"All of a sudden we saw a tree, just falling down out of nowhere," said Winston. "As the tree was falling, I happened to see a man, he was wearing a yellow shirt and he was trying to run out from under the  tree."

It was cries from underneath, that drew the two closer.

"We heard, like, a big noise and I saw the tree split," said Edelman. "All I heard was `help, help, help!',"

According to officials, the man was out for a run when a tree uprooted, and struck him.

"The next thing I know, the tree was down and the man was nowhere in sight," said Winston. "When you`re in that moment, you kind of just go with your instinct."

The pair called 911 and got a neighbor to help.

"We were pretty shocked, we really didn`t know what to do," said Winston.

The man, pinned beneath the tree, was eventually taken out from under it. Authorities say he was badly hurt, but was conscious and alert. He was flown via flight for life to Froedtert Hospital with serious injuries.

"We were literally 25 seconds away from it being us," said Edelman.

A life-changing moment, that brought strangers together, at a moment they were needed the most.

"Literally, in one second your entire life can change," said Winston. "It just teaches you to take everything one moment at a time and to appreciate every second you`re given."

It's believed that the tree uprooted because of wet weather conditions.