ABERDEEN, Wash. - A Grays Harbor County man is in the hospital after cutting off his own fingers to save his lfie.

Fifty-one-year-old William Messenger was on a fishing trip Sunday on the upper Wynoochee River when a strong current forced his boat into a logjam.

Messenger's fingers became stuck between the boat and a tree.

As the boat began taking on water, his fishing partner jumped out to call for help.

Messenger, believing he would die if he didn't get away, used a pocket knife to cut off his own fingers, said Lewis County Undersheriff Rick Scott.

Messenger was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was listed in satisfactory condition.

Scott said rescue crews later recovered Messenger's fingers and sent them to Harborview.

Family members were unavailable for comment, so it's unclear whether Messenger's fingers were reattached.