Authorities say a 4-year-old Redding boy is in critical condition after he was trapped beneath the base of a fallen tree that suddenly sprang upright.

A first responder says the boy was critically hurt and not breathing after he was trapped underneath the stump of a 100-foot tree. The boy's father was using a chainsaw on the tree when it shifted its balance.

A rescue team used chains and a four-wheel-drive vehicle to move the tree far enough to unearth the child, who was then rushed to Danbury Hospital.

Authorities say the boy has been moved to Hartford Children's Hospital, where he is in critical condition but showing signs of improvement.