A 36-year-old man was seriously injured when a grappling hook grabbed the cab of the pickup truck he was in at a Topeka salvage yard.

The Topeka Capital-Journal reports the accident occurred Saturday at the recycling center, where the victim works.

Shawnee County sheriff’s Corporal Steve Evans says the injured man was in the cab of a pickup truck when a large piece of heavy machinery reached down, grabbed the cab of the truck and started to grasp it using a grappling hook.

The pickup was being lifted off the ground and about to be crushed when other workers realized someone was inside and notified the equipment operator, who immediately let go of the truck.

Authorities say the injured man was alert afterward, but his injuries were considered serious.