Sweat Lodge Participant Says He's Lucky To Be Alive
CAMP VERDE, Ariz. (AP) -- Scott Barratt says he was concerned about the intense heat inside an Arizona sweat lodge ceremony and probably should not have returned once he left.
But the former military pilot says he wasn't completely coherent and ultimately was lucky to be among the survivors.
Three people died following the ceremony led by self-help author James Arthur Ray.
The self-help author has pleaded not guilty to three counts of manslaughter in what his attorneys say was a tragic accident.
Prosecutors say Ray conditioned participants to set aside their personal beliefs and disregard signs of danger.
Barratt resumes testimony Friday.
Barratt's unsuspecting humor brought laughter to the courtroom a day earlier as he described the events of Ray's weeklong "Spiritual Warrior" retreat held near Sedona in October 2009.
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