73-87chevytrucks.com
General Site Info => General Discussion => Topic started by: Lt.Del on November 28, 2009, 09:55:29 am
-
I want to pass this on because I know many of you are hunters and I want you all to be safe.
My cousin's husband fell from a tree stand. The details aren't clear how he fell or whatever, but, because he was late coming home yesterday, my cousin sent one of her boys out to get him--her oldest son, he's about 12 and knows where his daddy hunts. Well the boy saw his dad laying face down on the ground. He couldn't move and was paralyzed. That boy did the right thing. His daddy told him to turn him over but he knew better. He rand back home and led rescue to him. They in turn called medflight from Nashville. They live south of Franklin and west of Columbia for all you Tennesseans.
Anyway, after finding a place to land the copter, they finally immobilized him on a back board and took him to Nashville. He could talk, but not move at all. He said he fell first thing in the morning...he had been laying face down immobilized for 5 hours on ground that was 30 degrees.
Talk about a scary thought to put yourself in. He has two boys, about 12 and 11. He coaches little league and is very active with scouts and his boys' lives. I couldn't imagine the thoughts he had to have laying there face down unable to move on the freezing earth for five hours.
He was in surgery until late last night. They worked on his #2 vertabrate (neck) and has other vertebrae misaligned lower. His circulation to some limbs was cut off due to him not able to move so they will look at scenarios there as well.
Needless to say his whole family is staying at the hospital. Through all of this they were able to celebrate because this morning he showed movement in his lower arms. When the swelling goes down, maybe the news will get better.
So, the purpose of this is to inform you hunters to be extra careful when going up tree stands and ensure the tree stand will hold you up and whatever. I still don't know what caused the fall. But, your life can turn completely upside down as well as your family. Be extra careful. I have been up tree stands many times and probably half the time I have made a risky move, not thinking about the implications for the family down the road. All it takes is a split second and a family is shattered. young teen boys need their father. A mother of young teens needs her husband. Parents need their son around.
Tell your hunting friends. We are spreading the word as best we can. my dad hunts and was at his hunt club yesterday telling people. You don't think it can happen to you. I am sure my cousin's husband didn't think it could happen to him.
http://journals.lww.com/smajournalonline/Abstract/1991/06000/Deer_Stands__A_Significant_Cause_of_Injury_and.3.aspx
-
Hope he's ok. I hunt at the grocery store.
-
Ditto; i try never to climb more than 6 feet for any reason.
-
i hope he gets a speedy recovery and returns to his old self with full use of his body. he is in my prayers.
another note to the hunters out there. wear your safety harness when in a tree stand, it can and will save your life, no matter how much of a pain it is.
-
Thanks. And I concur...harnesses save lives. With a few minutes preparation time, you may save your life. they make them now in a vest form. The vest simply straps around you. Cinch it up and the rope or harness strap simply hooks to the back of it. I sure wish Troy would've had one on yesterday.
(http://www.delbridge.net/parks09a.jpg)
http://www.cabelas.com/safety-restraints-harnesses.shtml
-
Our prayers are with him and the family. Keep us up to date, and let us know if there is anything we can do.
-
Thanks. He has good insurance and as far as recovery, it is in the hands of the doctors and the man upstairs. He's such a great father and my cousin was lucky to find him. It makes you wonder why things happen to the best people. I dunno, all it takes is a second and life turns upside down.
-
I know it doesn't seem it, but he got lucky, Another forum I frequent one of the members fell out of his tree stand last year. His leg got caught in it, he hung upside down, and suffocated.
He was used to being up in the air. He worked on the high tension power line towers every day of his life.
-
update: He has regained a lot of motion in his arms and shoulders--and should gain a bit more there. However, he will likely be paralyzed permanently below the shoulders/arms.
They removed his ventilator and he is breathing fine now independently.
In about six weeks they will move him from the hospital to a rehab in Atlanta.
This really sux. i keep thinking about Christopher Reeve and the fact he didn't last very long--at least didn't live to a normal life length. I guess, he's alive now and we should be thankful. It's tough to think that way though.
It's human nature to take things for granted. We don't appreciate what we have until we lose it. It's making me think what I have.
I hope it's not all in vain. I hope his story goes out to everyone who climbs and hunts. A harness is a must. If you don't do it for yourself, do it for your family. This is going to be so tough on my cousin having to take care of him now and raise and take care of her two sons, and, her elderly mother in law lives right behind them.
Looking up spinal injuries and tree stands brings up a lot info. I had no idea that spinal injuries are extremely common from tree stand accidents. A large percentage of spinal injuries coming in to ER's are from falls from tree stands.
www.delbridge.net/spinalinjuries.html
-
We have to wear a harness when we get into the back of our trailers, unfortunately it took a guy falling off one and breaking his back to implement that policy
-
Update?
-
Update?
Thanks for asking. They moved him to the Shepherd ( http://www.shepherd.org/ ) Rehabilitation Hospital in Atlanta... supposedly a very nice non profit place started by a paraplegic who saw a need for this type of thing in the southeast. There was no where to go for someone with spinal / brain injuries to help them and their families cope with such a tragic thing prior to the Shepherd family starting this. They have the best rehab doctors and equipment and have residential apartments etc...
Luckily, my cousin's job has their main headquarters in Atlanta which may turn out to be a blessing for her. I am sure they will try to work with her because she must maintain her job.
The two boys are still in TN with their grandmothers.
I sent them an email last night offering support and assistance in any way i can. The past week has been nothing but a nightmare for them. Today marks one week since it happened.
He has some tingling sensations in his hands and lower arms, but nothing more at this time. They moved him earlier than expected.
-
Thanks, prayers are still going out daily. Let us know
-
Well my cousin's husband Troy left the Shepherd Center in Atlanta last week and arrived back home. It was the first time he was inside his house since the Thanksgiving Weekend accident, when he fell from his treestand because his harness broke.
He has a lot of great friends and coworkers from his job at the Columbia TN Public Works, where he worked before the accident. They, along with his church group and others nearly rebuilt the entire first floor of their house to accomodate his wheelchair and his living style now, moving his bedroom downstairs, tearing out a wall that was a dining room, making everything wheelchair compliant.
He has very limited use of his hands and nothing else from the neck down.
If any of you are in the TN area south of Nashville, near Columbia (Sterling Marlin's Hometown) or Franklin (Darrell Waltrip's home), read the flyer below for a benefit for their family. He's got such a great support system in his neighborhood it's hard to believe.
www.getwhenwhere.com
(http://www.delbridge.net/troyparkssign.jpg)
-
This is a tragic story. The fact that he did have his equipment on and it failed makes it even worse. I am a hunter and know the dangers and have come way too close a couple of times. I have only one stand now and don't use it very often. I can't begin to imagine what his family is going through.
Rick
-
Thanks for the update Del. At least he's home. Makes you wonder why bad things happen to good people. I live too far away to attend the benefit, but if you send me your address, I'll send a donation.
-
Grover, you are an awesome human.
There is a paypal link on the website that was started for them. You may use the link, even if you don't have a paypal account.
If you wish not to do that, please send me a PM and I'll send you my address. Also there is a place you can send them a message as well. There is even a facebook site for them.
thanks a lot.
www.getwhenwhere.com
http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=296026864338&ref=mf (http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/group.php?gid=296026864338&ref=mf)
-
Here's a very nice article written about my cousin Angie's family from the Columbia, TN Herald....
http://www.columbiadailyherald.com/articles/2010/03/01/top_stories/01accident.txt