Man dies after falling from tree stand

[whunter876]

“Officials are investigating a fatal hunting related accident. It happened at about 7:30 p.m. Monday.

Officials with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said 70-year-old George Olivo of Reidsville was killed from the injuries he suffered when the tree stand he was in fell to the ground.

Olivo was transported to Cone Health where he died.

"As a hunter myself, of course you never want to hear about it, both in my personal life and work life. Again, it's something that could happen to any of us," said North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Officer Nathan Green.”

http://www.twcnews.com/nc/triad/news/2015/09/22/man-died-after-hunting-related-accident.html

Always use safety harness.

[JJB11B]

Don't show this to your wives!!! they don't need any inspiration or new ideas.
Seriously though. That's sad. CHECK YOUR EQUIPMENT!

[Duckslayer89]

I had the latches on the top part of the climbing stand come loose as I was climbing about 8ft up. My feet were under the straps on the bottom part of the stand for pulling the platform up as you climbed. I went over backwards but my feet stayed strapped in. I felt every tendon pop and rip in my right ankle and my right knee tweek as I fell more right then left. Hanging there by my ankles thinking they were broken from the severe angle, I tried pushing myself up a little in the snow but could barely reach the ground with the tips of my fingers hanging upside down.. I felt myself getting light headed and tried doing a sit-up too reach the strap but it was impossible. Hanging there I heard a thud next to my head, and remembered I had my hatchet in my cargo pocket of my pants I was using to trim the limbs of the tree as I climbed. Grabbing the hatchet by the tips of my fingers, I could barely reach it. I swung myself by my throbbing legs around and gained a little momentum and lunged with everything I had up towards the strap on the bottom portion of the stand and came down hard with the blade on the strap. It took 3 solid hits to finally break the strap and the stand came falling down with my legs into the snow. I layed there for a second in the snow before using my bow as a cane and hobbling back to the road.

It was a crazy experience, I encourage everyone to carry a knife and wear a harness not only when you get situated in the stand but as you climb as well...

[Curly]

Holy crap Duckslayer!

Know I remember why I avoid treestands.

[Duckslayer89]

Man it was crazier than I could even write. It was late season whitetail in Spokane. Literally like 15 degrees and it happened at 8 am. My friend didn't get home from work until 6pm who I was staying with while hunting. I would have hung there all day without that hatchet. It was a little gerber with the hidden knife in the handle. Seriously loved that thing even before saving me haha. If you can picture your feet being strapped flat on a table then fall backwards off the table while they stayed flat, that's what happened. PAINFUL AS HELL. Gross popping feeling too...

[Bofire]

About 15 years ago I was with 4 other guys putting up a couple tree stands, while putting one up a guy fell, hit right on his head and broke his neck. Had to drive about 15 miles before we got a phone signal, couple guys stayed with him, all covered up. Be careful guys and gals.
Carl

[Bean Counter]

Stupid question: do people usually wear a safety harness when sitting in one of the more heavy duty tree stands that includes steps/ladder?

[CoryTDF]

Stupid question: do people usually wear a safety harness when sitting in one of the more heavy duty tree stands that includes steps/ladder?

We always use a harness. I forgot one once. I was hunting a stand we call the "Skyscraper" it is 45 feet in the air. I got to the tree and found that I had forgotten my harness. It was the last night on the last day and I could not afford to leave and go back to get it. I climbed into the stand and one I was in the seat I put my belt around my chest and used my bootlaces to tie myself to the tree. I ken it would not hold me but I hoped if I fell It would provide enough resistance that I would get turned around and grab a branch. Worked out well as I shot a nice 4x4 that night.

While filming a hunt my brothers friend came with him to be his cameraman. They only had one harness and so my brother gave it to his friend. My brother was watching some deer when he heard a loud noise to his left. He looked over to see is friend hanging by the harness just below the platform and completely unconscious. without the harness he would have went headfirst into river rock from about 27 ft. To this day nobody, including him, knows why he passed out. Said he was watching the deer and then he was hanging no idea how it happened.

Harnesses save lives.

[Smossy]

Stupid question: do people usually wear a safety harness when sitting in one of the more heavy duty tree stands that includes steps/ladder?

Anytime your off the ground you should have a harness on...
Just to go with the unfortunate situation of this topic,  I have one very basic treestand harness to offer as a donation to anyone who may need one . I'd rather see it get used then have someone brake they're neck or die.

[magnus100]

Wear a harness while climbing up, hunting, and climbing down. My buddy fell a few years ago while hanging a stand and colapsed a lung, broke his wrist, and lacrerated a kidney. He was lucky he didnt land on the stump to the right of his tree or the deadfall to the left or he most likely would have died. Even ladder stands can ice up and you can fall.

[fishnfur]

I broke out a new climber today that I bought last year and never used.  Even with the safety strap, that thing scares me. I can't imagine going higher than about 12 to 15 feet with it.  I hunt alone and the thought of hanging from a stand by the safety strap for hours is horrible to imagine.   I much prefer my ladder stand with a bigger platform and that is securely lashed to the tree while I climb.

[Special T]

I fell a sleep.in a  rivers edge steel climber in Arkansas several years ago. I had stopped using the cheepo harness earlier in the trip because it sucked. I went out and bought a nice mesh  one for $100 and always use it now. I also purchased a summit viper climber.
 Not all enclosed front climbers are as safe. My   summit's seat sits much lower so that even if I fell alseep and slumped I couldnt fall out.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I547 using Tapatalk

[Expedition Scout]

I fell from my tree steps trying to unstrap the stand from the tree 7 years ago. Climbed up and belted my harness around the tree at approximately 23 feet and proceeded to put my weight on the strap to be able to work with both hands. I must have miss routed the strap through the buckle since that is the only thing that made sense afterword cause the strap wasn't damaged. Fell backwards out of the stand and spent the next few months in a wheel chair with a broken back and messed up legs. Very lucky given the situation. Doc said the statistical lethal limit for a falling death is 50% at 8 feet cause that is the distance it takes to fall and rotate to your head/neck. Most of us I'm sure hunt at three times the lethal limit (20 - 25 feet).

I still hunt from a tree stand, however now I use a 11mm climbing rope tied top and bottom with a fall restraint for going up and down the tree, doubled with a safety strap once in the stand. Take it from me, you can't be as uncomfortable wearing a harness in the stand as you will be for the rest of your life after a fall.

[Caseknife]

Another thing to keep in mind if you find yourself or someone else hanging from their harness, is suspension trauma.  If you spend any amount of time with the blood flow restricted because of the pinch of the harness suspension trauma is likely.  Get the person to the ground and have them sit against the tree with their legs bent to their chest for half an hour or so.  This allows the unoxygenated blood to gradually flow back into the system.  If that anerobic blood is allowed to reach the brain, bad things happen.

[hal]

My cousin went deer hunting (archery ex deer tree stand). didn't tell anyone where was headed and didn't come home. Friends were sent to check all his usual spots and they found him on the ground two days later, still alive but barely. Had a heart attack and the MD thought the fall (20') restarted his heart. Lost several toes and fingers to frostbite.

“Officials are investigating a fatal hunting related accident. It happened at about 7:30 p.m. Monday.

Officials with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said 70-year-old George Olivo of Reidsville was killed from the injuries he suffered when the tree stand he was in fell to the ground.

Olivo was transported to Cone Health where he died.

"As a hunter myself, of course you never want to hear about it, both in my personal life and work life. Again, it's something that could happen to any of us," said North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Officer Nathan Green.”

http://www.twcnews.com/nc/triad/news/2015/09/22/man-died-after-hunting-related-accident.html

Always use safety harness.

[JDHasty]

I broke out a new climber today that I bought last year and never used.  Even with the safety strap, that thing scares me. I can't imagine going higher than about 12 to 15 feet with it.  I hunt alone and the thought of hanging from a stand by the safety strap for hours is horrible to imagine.   I much prefer my ladder stand with a bigger platform and that is securely lashed to the tree while I climb.

 

I have a half dozen ladder stands.  I won't purchase the ones without a "shooting rail" either.  That way when a person takes a siesta they will still be in the stand when they wake up and not closing with the ground at 32 feet per second per second. 

I have mostly Big Game Stealth Deluxe, but also have a couple Warrior Deluxe and they are solid.  I buy a couple after the season when they go on sale every year.  They don't have that large of a platform, but they work well for us.