Umbarger flown
to Deaconess
Hospital

By Mary Garrison
Tribune-Courier Features Editor
mgarrison@tribunecourier.com

BENTON – In the wee hours of Thursday morning, Kurt Umbarger of Benton left his home to go hunting.

At approximately 6 a.m., Umbarger began his ascent into a deer-stand on his family’s property in Benton when a tree limb broke loose and fell, knocking him from the platform as he stepped off the ladder.

He fell some 25 feet, landing on his head, where he lay until approximately 4:30 p.m. when his wife Angie discovered him.

Umbarger was flown to Deaconess Hospital in Evansville, Ind. whereupon it was discovered that his spinal cord had been completely severed.

“Tree stand falls are a substantial percentage of our hunting incidents every year,” said Will Connelly, hunter-training officer with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

As of November, there were eight hunting injury incidents reported to the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2009. Two of those were falls from tree stands.

Clarks River Wildlife Refuge Manager Michael Johnson said safety is key when hunting. “As a hunter and someone who’s made the same mistake a hundred times, I tell my son all the time to make sure to establish a point of contact,” Johnson said. “Call somebody as soon as you get out of the woods so too much time doesn’t lapse before you’re found if something happens.” Johnson also gave the following tips on treestand safety for hunters during the season:

• Know your equipment.

• Check stands every season and also before each use for signs of wear or fatigue.

• Do not use waist belts or upper-body only designs of safety harnesses.

• Select the right tree for your stand. Make certain the tree you use is straight and free of animal dens or insect nests. Avoid using stands on smooth-barked trees.

• Select an alternate ground blind. Be prepared for changing weather. If you feel sleepy a ground blind can provide a safe alternative.

• Have a hunt plan. Let a reliable person know where you’ll be, when you plan to return and who is with you.

• Wear a full-body harness, and make certain it is attached to the tree as soon as you begin your climb. In the case of a ladder stand, attach the harness before securing the platform to the tree.

• If you fall, stay calm. Have a cell phone or whistle within reach.

• Use the three Rs: Recover, relief and rescue. Attempt to recover and return to your stand until help arrives.