A B.C. man is in hospital tonight after what was supposed to be a mock hanging almost turned into the real thing earlier this week.
The unnamed man and a friend -- both in their early twenties -- wanted to videotape a stunt intended to look like a genuine hanging. Their plan was to then put the video up on the popular website YouTube for all to see.
On Wednesday, the pair walked into the woods of a park in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver, and found a sturdy tree. They threw a rope they had brought with them over a strong load-bearing branch. One of the men climbed the tree and placed the rope around his neck.
He then hanged himself, and apparently was quite convincing. The man was wearing a safety harness and he and his friend believed nothing would go wrong. At first glance, the stunt appeared to be going as planned.
"That was the intent. They wanted to film a mock hanging to look like a real hanging," said Burnaby RCMP Cpl. Alexandra Mulvihill.
"So when the tape rolled and his friend played out the fact that he had been hung, the gentleman filming it let it go because he thought his friend was acting and that was the desired effect."
But the man hanging from the branch wasn't acting. He was genuinely on the verge of death. Police say his friend let the camera roll for several minutes.
The man was rushed to Royal Columbian Hospital in critical condition. He has now been moved out of intensive care and is said to be responding to his parents. There is no word on the extent of his injuries.
While it may be difficult for many people to understand what motivated the men to do something so potentially dangerous, one amateur stuntman from Vancouver Island says he thinks he understands.
Dean Sullivan made headlines a few years ago when he bungee jumped off the Lions Gate Bridge at Vancouver's Stanley Park. He was trying to land safely on a passing cruise ship, but instead he hit his head on it.
"I personally like the rush and the attention is good sometimes," Sullivan said.
Sullivan didn't let his cruise ship mishap end his dangerous lifestyle. He has since jumped off a cliff at Niagara Falls -- twice.
Police say they hope the results of this week's mock hanging stunt will serve as a warning to others contemplating similar unsafe activities.
With a report from CTV British Columbia's Rob Brown
