47-year-old Gilbert Sanchez from La Paz, Agusan del Sur in the Philippines had last stepped his feet on solid ground in 2014. During those times, he climbed a 60-foot-tall coconut tree near where he was residing and never got back down again.
via-Oddity Central
Not until just recently, when police had to forcefully bring him down.
For the last three years, he was able to survive with the food and water his mother brought him every single day via an improvised rope that he made. Not even ruthless storms nor the sweltering heat would make him come down.
Only just recently when a tale about him went viral on social media that news about his eccentric behavior spread, reaching the national news.
via-Oddity Central
With a team of at least 50 people gathering around the coconut tree, they called him to go down voluntarily one more time before cutting the tree off with a chainsaw. It was tricky because one wrong move could make Sanchez fall to his death.
via-Oddity Central
Luckily, the operation was successful and they were able to safely bring him down. According to the initial assessment of a psychiatrist, Sanchez suffers delusions, psychosis, hallucinations, and even the fear that someone might kill him. The very reason he refused to come down all these years.
As Gilbert’s story spread on social media, people have already set up a donation account under his mother’s name so more people could help the family.
