Good question! He is using the present tense form of get here because he is telling a story, and referring back to this specific event that happened in the past. In English, it is common to use present tense to describe events which happened in the past if you are retelling events that already happened in a story. However, you should not only use present tense in this case. When telling a story, present tense if often mixed in with past tense.
Here's some examples of using present tense to describe the past in a story:
Ex: Yesterday I walk outside and see the neighbor watering his lawn.
Ex: Last week I was driving to work and suddenly I notice this chicken cross the road. So I slam on my brakes, but I almost crashed into it.
In the second sentence, notice how present tense verbs are mixed in with past tense. The present tense helps to keep the listener engaged and seem as though the events are taking place now.