Man Impaled by Elk Statue

A young man is fortunate to be alive after being impaled by the antlers of an elk statue on Eakins Oval in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

How does one end up in such a predicament? The 21-year-old apparently climbed onto the George Washington Monument in the middle of the oval around 4:10 p.m., Tuesday. He then slipped, impaling himself on the elk statue's antlers at the base of the monument. Many of the news agencies are referring to the elk statue as a deer statue, but I don't guess the species of statue matters too much to the guy who wound up impaled on it.

The man was taken to Hahnemann University Hospital for lacerations and bleeding on his left side and is now listed in stable condition.

The Washington Monument, unveiled in 1897 at the Green Street entrance to Fairmount Park, was relocated to the Ben Franklin Parkway in 1928. According to the Association for Public Art, the elk, along with the moose, buffalo, bear and alligator surrounding the monument, represent animals that are native to America.

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