Tree stand fall reminder

Rob R. · Nov 11, 2018

Around noon today my fiancé’s father fell 15ft from a tree stand today, believe he was either either climbing up or down when it happened.

He just went into surgery few minutes ago to try and save the limb, lower leg and knee is badly injured. Also has a cracked L3 and concerned going into surgery, because he ate prior to the fall

Not sure what pain medicine they gave him orally but couldn’t keep it down. He’s in a lot of pain and a bit disoriented.

Similar situation happened to my best friends father several years ago and it’s been downhill ever since.. Been quite some time but what I recall he had surgery after injury and complications/infections, a lot of pain and never the same.

Be careful everyone

94hokie · Nov 11, 2018

My dad fell out of a stand while climbing up a stand 28 years ago. He had a stanley thermos in his backpack and landed on it. It cracked two vertebrae and he has had two rods in his back ever since.

Occam · Nov 11, 2018

A step-in-law (is that a thing? might be a step-cousin ... it's complicated) mis-stepped while maneuvering his climbing tree stand and dropped his loaded muzzleloader about 15' to the ground. Discharged, shot himself up through his jaw, killed him on the spot. Tree stands are tricky, especially the climbing flavor. Climbing with a loaded muzzleloader? WTF? But he did. Darwinned himself. Left three kids and a wife behind.

SRD · Nov 11, 2018

A good friend of mine died when he had a stand "fail" about 20 yrs ago.He was in the 280-300 lb. range but had bought a 350+ rated stand.The fall itself didn't do it but the fall ruptured/tore (if that's the correct term) his hernia mesh (?).Point being,you can never be too careful,if he had a harness he might still be here.

joppaj · Nov 11, 2018

Rob, I'm sorry to hear that. It's a timely message and I hope the man pulls through with no lasting damage.

buellsfurn · Nov 11, 2018

prayers sent

Uncle Duke · Nov 11, 2018

Always remember also with “permanent” type stands that an overnight layer of frost on plywood or lumber will give you a skating rink in short order.

LOTS of ways to find yourself in trouble.Get yourself a harness, learn to climb and descend with it, and wear it. You’re fine, until that quick you aren’t.

fred55 · Nov 11, 2018

Prayers for a full recovery. Hunt safely and take your time getting set. fred55

ROBAR35 · Nov 11, 2018

Prayers up for your girlfriends father

welder516 · Nov 11, 2018

Prayers to him , fall protection is a pain but recovery is painful .

44man · Nov 11, 2018

Occam said:
A step-in-law (is that a thing? might be a step-cousin ... it's complicated) mis-stepped while maneuvering his climbing tree stand and dropped his loaded muzzleloader about 15' to the ground. Discharged, shot himself up through his jaw, killed him on the spot. Tree stands are tricky, especially the climbing flavor. Climbing with a loaded muzzleloader? WTF? But he did. Darwinned himself. Left three kids and a wife behind.

A friend from years ago was in his stand and somehow dropped his shotgun and got a slug through the armpit up, didn’t kill him but he was never the same

It pays to be careful

engineerbrian · Nov 11, 2018

Damn, sorry to hear this. Hope he is ok.

davsco · Nov 11, 2018

thx for the reminder, best wishes for a speedy and full recovery. height can maim or kill.

Biggfoot44 · Nov 11, 2018

My Motto - I don't climb anything higher than I care to fall .

RwWilly · Nov 11, 2018

Praying for his full and speedy recovery.

dad4 · Nov 11, 2018

Praying that he makes out ok.

Rob R. · Nov 11, 2018

Update, everything is looking better... They drilled his leg and now braced, to help keep it stable until swelling goes down, then he goes back in for another surgery Wednesday.
Doctor said he did a good job re-setting his own leg after his fall, one neighbor and his son grabbed their ATV and were able to pull him out of the woods until help arrived.
Good news is he’s doing better, in good spirits and just settled in his hospital room. They expect the L3 fracture to heal on its own.

Overall can’t complain could have been much worse living in the sticks with only a handful of neighbors.
As a side note the surgeon is smoking hot per my future mother in law lol

bigdv · Nov 12, 2018

Thats terrible. Prayers sent. As I get older I am more comfortable in a ground blind. I used to climb 30 feet in my climber. Not so much anymore.

44man · Nov 12, 2018

Rob R. said:
Update, everything is looking better... They drilled his leg and now braced, to help keep it stable until swelling goes down, then he goes back in for another surgery Wednesday.
Doctor said he did a good job re-setting his own leg after his fall, one neighbor and his son grabbed their ATV and were able to pull him out of the woods until help arrived.
Good news is he’s doing better, in good spirits and just settled in his hospital room. They expect the L3 fracture to heal on its own.

Overall can’t complain could have been much worse living in the sticks with only a handful of neighbors.
As a side note the surgeon is smoking hot per my future mother in law lol

Great news, prayers continue

lazarus · Nov 12, 2018

bigdv said:
Thats terrible. Prayers sent. As I get older I am more comfortable in a ground blind. I used to climb 30 feet in my climber. Not so much anymore.

Hell, I am in my 30s and I get over 20ft up and I start noping. I always use my harness and strap. That said, I learned my lesson about being careful even with a harness on. Was climbing down way to fast because I was in a panic (forgot any orange, 20 feet up a tree in early muzzleloader).

Anyway, I didn’t properly set the bottom section when I went to release the top section the bottom dropped out on me and dropped about 2 feet and my harness caught me just as the stand bit back in. I was only 4 feet off the ground when it happened, but I swung in to the tree all the same and bashed my lip and nose.

I knew dang well if that had happened 20 feet up I could have been stuck hanging there till someone found me.

But it reinforced wearing a harness AND being really damn careful. My neighbor hunted with a harness for years until I met him. After going out twice together I told him I wouldn’t go hunting with him any more if he wasn’t going to wear a harness in a stand (or using it going up and down the tree with his climber). I told him I wouldn’t be the one to tell his wife he F-ed up and was dead or paralyzed.

He always wears a harness now.

Tree stand fall reminder

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