A man in Burnaby, B.C., is recovering in hospital after an amateur attempt to film his own fake hanging nearly turned real.

The 23-year-old man and his 22-year-old friend went to a park in north Burnaby on Thursday afternoon to stage the mock hanging and capture it on video.

"The males thought they were well prepared and had taken the proper safety precautions by having the one male wear a harness," the RCMP said in a statement.

"Unfortunately, things did not go as planned and the male was unintentionally hung from the rope he had placed around his neck.

"Due to the fact this was intended to look like a real hanging, the male filming it let his friend hang for a short time before realizing that something had gone wrong."

Eventually the friend realized the man was unconscious and called 911 while he attempted a rescue.

The 23-year-old injured man was taken to hospital and was being treated in the intensive care ward, where his condition has improved. His friend was questioned and released without any charges being laid, police said.

The RCMP noted neither man had any formal stunt training.

 "The 'don't try this at home!' disclaimers on commercials and in movies are there for a reason," the RCMP noted.