COEUR d'ALENE - A Coeur d'Alene man told police his paraglider was stolen before he could recover it from a tree following a crash, a police report said.

The man, 72, had taken off in the paraglider Friday from a dirt lot near a park at Riverstone, but crashed shortly afterward.

After the accident, he was able to recover the engine of the paraglider, but the canopy and lines were tangled in a tree.

He placed the paraglider engine in his truck and left to get a ladder, returning to the crash site approximately 30 minutes later, only to discover the canopy missing from the tree.

The man told police the canopy wasn't damaged in the crash, and he wanted to use a ladder to avoid damaging it during recovery.

Whoever stole the canopy likely yanked it out of the trees by the control lines, likely damaging the paraglider, which the man estimated to be worth $3,800, the police report said.

Additionally, he said, a tool box and gas can were stolen from the bed of his pickup truck. Those items were valued at $130.

"He is assuming they were stolen from the truck while everyone was distracted looking at the crash site and gathering to check on his welfare," police wrote in the report. "He believes the same person(s) probably watched until he left the area then took the paraglider canopy from the tree."

The man didn't immediately return a call Monday seeking comment.