Florida man fighting for his life after chasing monkey

Author: Associate Press
Published:
Photo credit: GoFundMe for Jeff “Swede” Swedenhjelm/ WKRG

A Florida man now living in Bali is fighting for his life after he fell from a roof while chasing a monkey that had stolen his favorite Pittsburgh Steelers cap.

The Northwest Florida Daily News reported that Jeff “Swede” Swedenhjelm fell 33 feet (10 meters) on Monday.

Villagers took him to a local hospital, where he was diagnosed with severe damage to his spinal cord. He currently is paralyzed from the chest down.

Lyric Swedenhjelm, who lives in Destin, said the family is trying to get her father to a country with a spinal specialist. She said Swedenhjelm is in a medically induced coma and is on a ventilator.

The family has started a fundraising page on GoFundMe, which has already raised more than $36,000.

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