Think it can't happen to you?
Read on ............
Normally when you pick up a hunting magazine or newsletter, you read stories about someone finally getting the buck of their dreams. This article is a little different, it’s about how thing’s can turn bad, really bad when wrong decisions are made. This is a true story about two bowhunters, both friends that shared in two different almost tragic but similar events.My story begins on a beautiful October day in 1991, the first day of a long awaited vacation to hunt on a farm in East Greenville Pa. It was the first Monday after the clocks were turned back an hour and for some reason, I was running a little late driving the 40 miles to the farm. I was very anxious and excited to get to my treestand before the deer started moving back to their bedding areas. I arrived at the farm just as the first sign of day light was breaking over the horizon. I remembered how beautiful the sky looked as I made my way across the cut corn field headed for the little hollow. As I approached the hollow where my treestand was, I suddenly realized I had left my safety belt in the trunk of my car. I stopped, turned around and started walking towards the car to get my belt. I stopped after a few yards and said to myself “ It’s getting late, the heck with it” I turned around and made my way to my stand. Little did I know it would be a costly mistake that almost cost me my life.
I climbed into my treestand, a permanent stand that had been put up by a good friend that lived on the farm years before. In fact, the stand was rebuilt above the original stand about 18 feet high. There was a little home made seat nailed to the tree that was always a comfort after standing for hours on end. I hung my bow on a bow hook and thought to myself, It doesn’t get any better then this. A whole week of bowhunting and this is only the first day. It was a quiet but a perfect morning for bowhunting, not much wind, cool and late in October when deer are starting to really move. I stood for about two hours and decided to sit awhile just to give my legs a rest. I sat down on the little homemade seat and was just enjoying the morning. All of a sudden in a split second, I heard a loud crack and the next thing I knew, I was in mid air, upside down. I hit the ground at tremendous force. I was completely stunned and couldn’t breath. I knew I was in trouble but didn’t know the extent of my injuries. I had the feeling that all my ribs were broken and they might have pierced my lungs because I couldn’t breath. This was the same thought my friend Tom had when he fell as you will read in his article. As I laid on the ground I was in horrible pain. I felt like I was struck by a car or truck doing about 40 mph.
Laying on the ground many thoughts passed through my mind. I didn’t know if I was paralyzed or not. I remember trying to wiggle my toes and thinking, well, at least I’m not paralyzed. I couldn’t get up on my feet. Every time I even moved slightly, I was in agony. I surely thought I was dying. The thoughts of my wife and kids kept coming into my mind and I asked God, to please let me see them again. I thought about the many times I would say kidding that if I have to go, I want to go doing something I love and I remember saying to God, I didn’t mean at age 41.
How was I going to get out of here and get help? There was a road about two hundred yards away, but if I could only get to my feet, I could make it back to the farm house.
I keep thinking I have to get up, I can’t just lay here but I was in so much pain, I couldn’t move. My mind drifted back to a time twenty-two years earlier while in Vietnam I witnessed many acts of extreme heroism and bravery. I thought to myself, you are supposed to be a Marine, start acting like one. Get up and start moving. It worked, I slowly got to my knees, tried to stand but couldn’t and fell back down. I again got to my knees and by grabbing on to a small sapling, pulled myself to my feet. My first step was hell. It was the worst pain I had ever felt in my life, but I was slowly making progress. How many baby steps would it take me to walk three hundred yards? Many, and every one was hell. As I slowly made my way back towards the farmhouse, I wanted to drop to the ground but knew that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to get up again. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, I made it to the farmhouse. Luckily, my buddy was home and called an ambulance. When the paramedics arrived they asked me what hospital I wanted to go to, I said’ The nearest one”As I was on my way to the hospital, I asked the paramedic if he could give me something for pain but he said he couldn’t because they didn’t know the extent of my injuries. I was in so much pain at this time, I was shaking and sweating profusely. When I arrived at Quakertown hospital, I remember the nurse pulling off my boots that had been spayed with fox urine that morning. She looked a little green and I thought she was going to lose her breakfast. I also had a brand new first time worn pair of camo that was cut off of me and put in the bag with my smelly boots.
My wife arrived at the hospital and I heard the doctor tell her the extent of my injuries. My spine was fractured in four places. I was placed in critical care for three days then moved to another hospital where my wife is a nurse. I was out of work for eight weeks and went through extensive rehab. The doctors didn’t realize at first that my spine was fractured in four places and if they had, they would have put steel rods in my back to stabilize my spine. They only saw three fractures on the first X-rays.
The reason I wanted to tell this story is because like everyone else, I thought it can never happen to me. I’m here to tell you…. Yes it can. Always take the time to be safe. Things can happen faster then you can react. I used to think, if I ever fall, I’ll just grab a limb on the way down. Ya, Right!
Still Not Convinced ? Read on ..............
A Bowhunter’s Worst Nightmare...Take Two
by John Mack
I was recently perusing through the UBP web site and clicked on “Tree Stand Safety.” Under that, I clicked on the link that recants Buck Appel’s story of how he fell from his tree stand and was seriously injured.
I could not believe my eyes as I read his story. Most of Buck’s thoughts, descriptions of his injuries and predicament were identical to mine. It was almost like I was reading someone’s description of what happened to me on opening day of archery season October 5, 2002. Reading his story brought back many painful memories, and reminded me how lucky I am to be alive and to share my story. This is how my day of excitement turned into one of horror.
I took a scent free shower, prepared my gear, got my game plan and headed off into the woods behind my house at about 3:45 p.m. I told my wife not to worry if I did not return home until after dark, as I may be busy field dressing my deer. I walked about 400 yards back into the woods, got to my tree and proceeded to climb with my API Grand Slam tree stand. I never used a safety harness with this stand because I felt so secure and thought it was impossible to fall out of it. Only careless idiots fall out of stands. Right? It wasn’t going to happen to me. WRONG. I climbed 20 feet up, and noticed that the top part of the stand was not level. So I removed the pin that secured the chain around the tree to let the chain out of the receiver to level the stand (it specifically says in the instruction manual never to remove the pin after you start climbing—unfortunately I did). I replaced the pin, not realizing that the pin was only butted against the end of the chain and not through it. I sat back to set up, the chain tore free and man how things changed fast.
I fell backwards and remember hearing air rush by my ears as if I was in a wind tunnel, and then…BAM!! It felt like I was just hit by a truck. I was in terrible pain and I could not breathe at all, not even a little. I felt like I had a plastic bag over my head. I knew I was in big trouble. After about a minute, I was able to start gasping for air. My rib cage hurt tremendously, and I knew I had broken ribs and a collapsed lung. Blood was pouring out of my face. I lay there on the ground, checking to see if I could feel and move my legs and arms. My right arm was hanging funny and I had difficulty moving it. I couldn’t call for help due to my inability to breathe; besides, no one else was around to hear me. I knew I had to get myself out of the woods or I would die. My wife had just given birth to our second daughter one week earlier. I thought “my kids can’t grow up without a father.” Somehow I made it back on my feet and began the slow 400 yard trek out of the woods. I started to reach for my bow so no would take it, but then I said to myself, “I’ll be lucky to get myself out of here.”
As I reached the edge of the woods, my wife happened to notice me through the back window. She opened it and yelled, “What’s wrong?” I said, “Call an ambulance!” She thought I was kidding and said, “What are you talking about?” Then she noticed that I was covered in blood and was obviously serious. At that point I collapsed behind the deck. It took over 25 minutes for the ambulance to arrive, as I live in a new development and there were no street signs at that point. I asked the paramedics for pain medicine, but they said they couldn’t give me any because they did not know the extent of my injuries. I told the paramedic on the way to the hospital to tell my family I love them in the event I should die before we got to the hospital.
I was taken to York Trauma Center where they had to put in a chest tube to reinflate my collapsed lung. I had a broken nose, three broken ribs, a broken shoulder which was surgically repaired, and a nice cut on the back of my leg where I landed on one of my broadheads. I could have very easily broken my spine and left paralyzed, or killed, as many other hunters have. I was lucky to only have been in recovery for a few months.
This was a lesson learned the hard way. All could have been avoided if I was wearing a safety harness, and followed the safety precautions of proper tree stand use. I continue to hunt as often as I can. The difference is that my harness goes with me on each trip, and safety is the number one priority when I go out. No exceptions. My advice to any hunter is always use a harness with a lineman’s belt attachment, carry a cell phone, know your equipment and use it properly, and hunt with a partner whenever possible. Encourage others to do the same. Your next trip into the woods could be your last. Safe Hunting!