Area’s First Hunting-Related Serious Accident
By Doug La Rocque
The Grafton Fire Department and Rescue Squad were called out mid-morning on Sunday, November 24, for a report of a man who had fallen about 20 feet out of his tree stand, in a wooded area off the southern end of Babcock Lake Road. The incident occurred about a half mile into the woods. The 67-year old victim reportedly laid there for about an hour before he was found by his brother who called the Rensselaer County 911 Center for help. Grafton firefighters used their special 8-wheel all terrain Argo vehicle to extricate the man, who suffered injuries to his pelvic area. He was transported to the Albany Medical Center by the Grafton Rescue Squad. A crew from Empire Ambulance assisted at the scene. The victim is a Grafton resident. It is believed he may have been attempting to climb down from the stand when he fell.
“Tree stand incidents are becoming a major cause of hunting related injuries across the country,” according to NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Basil Seggos. The Commissioner said that in 75 percent of these cases the victim was not wearing a safety harness. Last year, DEC officers investigated 12 tree stand accidents, six of which resulted in fatalities.