A Mississippi hunter is saying prayers of thanks this weekend after he was found hanging upside down in his tree stand Friday.

Jackson news sources say the hunter was discovered by authorities in a wooded area of Rankin County after 1 p.m.

Rankin County Emergency Management Director Mike Word said the only thing keeping the hunter in the tree were the straps around his feet in the climbing stand. Word said the man is very fortunate to be alive and urged hunters to wear a harness when using tree stands.

The hunter was transported out of the woods where he was taken in an ambulance to the hospital.

A University of Mississippi Medical Center AirCare team also arrived on the scene.