A 76-year old man in Burnaby, British Columbia had to be cut out of a pile of junk with a chainsaw on Monday after it was discovered that he’d been trapped there for several days.

Authorities checked on the man after one of his relatives said he’d not heard from or seen him in days. When police arrived, they found him trapped under debris in his own home, alive but severely dehydrated and with circulation issues from having his legs pinned. Early reports said he may lose a limb as a result.

Those responding to the scene found it so difficult to maneuver through the home that they had to use a chainsaw to cut through the piles of trash and “junk” which filled the pathways. They say the man suffers from a mental disorder related to the hoarding and might have died had they not responded when they did.

“Had it been another day or two, with our cold temperatures, the outcome may have not been as good as it was,” Assistant Fire Chief Greg Mervin said.