# A safety warning to all hunters!!



## CindyV (Sep 13, 2012)

On Sept 15th hubby and i set off for an evening deer hunt. Our brand new tree stands were installed the day before, and the safety lines tested and secured. Our full body harnesses were attached, and we each checked eachother's equipment. The evening was perfect, warm, sunny, and not even a hint of a breeze. I climbed in to my stand, secured my safety tether, and hauled up my bow and light pack. After sitting for about 30 minutes, I stood up to stretch my legs, and get a drink from my pack. I hung my bow on the bow hook, reached for my drink...and the next thing I knew I was literally fighting for my life. I fell 16 feet from my stand landing thankfully in soft grass on my left side unable to draw a breath. I started to see blackness and bit down hard on my tongue to force myself to draw a breath and stay concious. My husband heard me hit the ground and was at my side in a minute. Emt's were on the scene in 15 minutes, and the ardous task of getting me out of the bush began. On arrival to our small town hospital it became apparent that my injuries were more than they could handle, and I was rushed 50 miles to the city hospital. I have very little memory of the next 6 days of my life. I was listed as critical, with the following injuries: Right broken wrist, left shattered clavical, ALL ribs on my left side broken in multiple places, and a left punctured and collapsed lung. The lung began to fill with fluid, and my breathing was getting less productive, I had to be medically placed in a coma, and put on a ventilator for 48 hours. I had a chest tube draining fluid from around my lungs, 2 screw and plate sets holding my collar bone together, and a cast on my right arm. I spent 14 days in hospital, barely able to move from the intense pain of all those broken ribs. Now at home, hunting season is over for me, and I face a long painful recovery and rehab for my left arm/shoulder. I cannot perform even a simple function like pulling my pants up after going to the bathroom. I cannot walk my dog, or brush my hair. Now the biggee right? Why did I fall? In truth, I do not know..but..more importantly WHY did my safety harness fail to keep me from hitting the ground 16 feet below me? THAT, I can answer...The buckle that attached my tether to the line around the tree...simply..let go. It slipped through itself. Brand new..supposedly safe equipment. I came close to dying they tell me. My warning to all of you is this: DO NOT TRUST THE POOR QUALITY SAFETY HARNESS AND TETHERS THAT COME WITH YOUR TREE STANDS. SPEND THE EXTRA FEW DOLLARS AND GET PROFESSIONAL HARNESS AND TETHERS, AND FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR LOVED ONES AND YOUR LIFE..USE THEM!!! I will live, and I will recover, and I will hunt again next year...you might not get that same chance. Let my accident serve as a warning..oh..and to the company that made this equipment...you WILL be hearing from me soon.


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## bsites9 (Mar 22, 2008)

Glad you're going to OK. Can't really picture what you described about how it failed though. And, so you're not sure how you actually fell? Was is hang on stand? I'm to the point now, that I basically won't hunt from a hang on. Just too dangerous. Climber, or ladder stands for me. Doesn't eliminate the chance of a fall, but it has to decrease those changes I'd think.


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## CindyV (Sep 13, 2012)

Yes it was a hang on stand. Really went over the top when we secured it. The safety belt from me to the tree..was attached with 2 buckles...one basically fit in to the other. I know it has a name..but cannot remember what it is. That is what failed. As for how come i fell in the first place...I can only guess that maybe..just maybe the stand slipped just a bit...threw me off balance..I really don't know. Am in perfect health..so i dont think i got woozy at all..but..its hard to say. I too..will no longer trust a hang on stand. NEVER. The real smack in the face was retrieving the trail cam 2 weeks later..and seeing 66 pics of really nice deer!!!


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## manboy (Mar 24, 2005)

wow ! i am so glad you have recovered to make it home....i know what your hubby and yourself are going thru. My wife had a horrific car wreck 2 years ago. she like you was in intensive care for days...broken ribs, pelvic, broken back...many others she spent almost 60 days in hospital, then 3o days in rehab.....she also was in a wheel chair for 2 months.........i know exactly what you mean by little things you can't do.......we will pray for your health., work hard in rehab, its ability to help you regain your strength is simply amazing..... 

As far as the safety harness, i never have liked the strap around the tree, never trusted my life to it. i put in a loop bolt, of 3/8" and 5" long, yes this puctures the tree, but i feel much safer with it. then i connect my harness with a strong camber clip. for rock climbing.


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## rdneckhillbilly (Jan 25, 2010)

I am really sorry to hear about your accident but I am glad to are okay and will live to hunt another day. 
Wishing you a speedy recovery. 
On a side note...I am kinda twisted individual...ask anyone and they will confirm...got any pics?


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## moosemeat (Jul 31, 2011)

cindy thank god you are with us today,your experince i hope will be a teaching aid to all of use to not take or safety equipment for granted and to spend a few extra dollars to make sure we all go home to our loved ones.wishing you a speedy recovering


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## Brent Martin (Oct 10, 2012)

I picked up a hang on stand from Crappy Tire a few weeks ago... 50% off on sale. I highly recommend practicing setting up on a tree and trying out all harnesses at ground level. I found 2 problems. The straps that hold the stand to the tree are very hard to get tight enough and the stand slips down the tree. I am going to add 2 ratchet straps to help this. Second, I tried suspending myself from the harness. Much to my surprise the leg straps pulled right out and the harness was around my neck! After going over the manual again I found that the strap had to pass through the buckle again. I am sure glad I tried it out before trusting it. I am sure there are lots of people that would just throw the thing on.

Cindy, you could do us a favour and let us know the brand you were using. Also, a pic of the part that failed would be helpful too.


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## Ravenhunter (Dec 19, 2010)

Glad to hear you survived your fall. I have purchased a muddy safety harness but will continue to use my summit rope and knot to secure myself to the tree. I've never trusted the seat belt style attachment to the trees that a lot of safety harness use. I have also packed in all hang on stands. I only use ladderstands and my climber,both are far safer than hang on stands. Good luck with the recovery,but don't give up on the season. Get a crossbow and lean up against a tree in mid december.


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## CindyV (Sep 13, 2012)

I will try to get the info and a pic..but since the arms are kind of casted for now..will have to wait. The brand Bearcat from Menards in the states..probably similar to Crappy Tires... We did check everything..i even hung myself off the door frame beforehand as I am not used to tree stand hunting. steady pressure it held up..what i should have done was given a good jerk..simulating a sudden fall...
As for the morbid ones that want pictures...lololol...my daughter took one pic of me...i will see if i can talk her in to sending me a copy...but beware..i look like a Zombie Skittle!!


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## rdneckhillbilly (Jan 25, 2010)

CindyV said:


> I will try to get the info and a pic..but since the arms are kind of casted for now..will have to wait. The brand Bearcat from Menards in the states..probably similar to Crappy Tires... We did check everything..i even hung myself off the door frame beforehand as I am not used to tree stand hunting. steady pressure it held up..what i should have done was given a good jerk..simulating a sudden fall...
> As for the morbid ones that want pictures...lololol...my daughter took one pic of me...i will see if i can talk her in to sending me a copy...but beware..*i look like a Zombie Skittle!!*


 Glad your sense of humor is still intact. Get well soon.


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## wolfie729 (Jan 16, 2012)

glad your ok i hunt with my wife and I would be a wreck if she ever fell out of the treestand


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## CLASSICHUNTER (May 20, 2005)

usually cause is straps not looped through harness correctly or wrong way they will hold under normal condititons but not a sudden launch .. as stated above by one person needed extra loop to be effective.. quick recovery for you...


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## doubledwv (Jul 20, 2011)

only thing the ones with the stands are good for ... deer drag.. put them on, fasten to deer and pull with comfort


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## crazymoose (May 17, 2005)

Thank you for sharing your story with us. Hopefully others will read it and take note.
Wishing you a speedy recovery and best wishes to you and your family.


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## Jbooter (Dec 9, 2009)

I wish you a speedy recovery. I'm putting up my hang on stand tomorrow so I appreciate the advice and reminders on safety! Again, sorry to hear your story, but I hope your recovery is fast and smooth.


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## Xenomorph (Jun 18, 2012)

Really happy you are recovering well and really wish I could have done my part and sign that Zombie Skittles :lol:


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## Maxtor (Jan 7, 2007)

Very sorry to hear about your ordeal and hope you recover quickly and with no permanent effects. All stands, whether hang on, climber or ladder are capable of malfunctions, so one isn't any safer then the other. I highly recommend the Hunter Safety System to anyone to use as their safety system. Wife and I both use them and we love them. Best investment we've ever made, well, second best investment. The other best investment was when I purchased static rope and installed life lines at every one of our tree stands. Like you, we hunt as a couple and I couldn't imagine my wife getting hurt, or worse, by falling out of a stand. 

Keep up your spirits Cindy and I think I'd be on the phone with the company that made the safety harness, or have a lawyer on the phone with them


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## CindyV (Sep 13, 2012)

I thank all of you for the words of encouragement. Hubby was by my side in a minute...he said he was just sick when he heard the thunk..then he heard me screaming...he said in a small way it made him feel better..I am keeping my humor, as it helps get through each day. I am not considering a lawsuit..it won't fix the broken bones...but I want the company to know that their product is not at all safe...We tested the third one..that we had purchased for my 27 yr old daughter...THAT scared me..terrified me..to see it fail the same way only faster...when i think that she could have fallen..and god knows how much worse it could have been...it makes me ill...and reduces me to tears. I will keep u all updated. thank you again so much for all the kind words!!!


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## stanlh (Jul 23, 2010)

So sorry to hear of you ordeal. You said the buckle was the style where one piece fits into another, is it a fall guy brand? They work that way. Just wondering.
A friend of mine was testing a stand and shortly after putting some weight in it, it fell. He was not seriously injured thankfully. What went wrong was that the stand was held in place by a cam buckle. One of those type that the strap goes through and is held in place by friction against a spring loaded cam. The cam is cast metal and it just broke. If any of you are trusting your life to this type of buckle get rid of it now. Use the kind that ratchets and insure that you have enough strap material wrapped up in the buckle so strap material has at least a couple of wraps onto itself. 
As someone else said on here, get a safety line that is wrapped around the tree and extends to the ground and be attached to it from the time you leave the ground.


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## CindyV (Sep 13, 2012)

No not fall guy.. i think i posted the brand name farther up in the post..darn pain meds really mess with the memory..lol. Glad to see people realizing that blind trust (no pun intended)is a risk that no one should be making. 16 feet does not seem like much, but I have heard of people with life altering injuries from a lot less! Ratchet and carabiners are worth the expense and effort...and test test test your equipment.


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## stanlh (Jul 23, 2010)

Yes I see now that you did post the brand. I am sure it sounds morbid that people are asking for pics and certainly it is entirely up to you if you do or don't. If it makes one person stop and think and take the safety steps they should be taking it could be worth it. Best of luck to you.


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## CindyV (Sep 13, 2012)

hehe no not morbid..i can hardly wait to get a pic of the xray showing all the screws and plates holding my collar bone together...i will heal...but i don't want to hear of even one other person getting hurt like i did or worse!!


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## Big Eagle (Nov 19, 2011)

I'm very glad you are here to share your story Cindy All the best in your recovery!!!! I still know people who wear no restraint or harness at all. One is a good friend of mine, and his wife is expecting their fourth child. I spoke to both of them, together, and got nowhere. I hope people learn from your experience. Please keep us updated on your situation. Bryan


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## Ravenhunter (Dec 19, 2010)

More people need a fear of heights like myself. You'll never catch me up a tree without my trusted muddy harness and summit rope. A friend of mine fell 20' last year when the strap on his climbing sticks broke. He lucky slowed his fall by grabbing the lower climbing sticks. He limped back to his truck with minor scratches and bruises. But this year he's packed in the hang on stands and only uses his climber n ladderstands but still no safety harness.


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## CindyV (Sep 13, 2012)

Personally, I think a fear of heights can be just as dangerous as a lack of safety gear. A healthy respect for heights, and a firm realization of the dangers...serves a better purpose. I am not afraid of trees..am not afraid of heights..I am not even afraid of falling...but I tell ya...I am terrified of the sudden stop at the bottom!!! lol


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## Ravenhunter (Dec 19, 2010)

I'll stick with the fear. Keeps me strapped in at all times.


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