A deer hunter from Seymour received minor injuries after falling from a tree stand on Thursday evening.
Around 5:40 p.m., Dustin Orr, 20, was descending a manufactured ladder treestand after deer hunting on property off of Old Chilhowee Road in the Cold Springs area near Seymour. During the descent, he lost his balance and fell six to eight feet striking a rock on the ground, which caused a back injury.
Because the accident happened near sunset, rescuers had to make a quarter-mile climb on a steep, muddy ridge after dark to reach Mr. Orr.
Members of the Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Blount County Fire Department, Blount County Volunteer Rescue Squad, and Rural Metro Ambulance Service extricated Mr. Orr and he was transported to Blount Memorial Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries to his back.
Wildlife Officers Jeff Pearce and Jeff Roberson are leading the investigation for the TWRA noting that Mr. Orr was familiar with this type of treestand and had previously hunted from it. The officers also suggest that the use of a haul line to lower hunting equipment to the ground might have prevented this accident.
With the regular deer hunting season lasting until Jan. 4, and another young sportsman’s hunt on Jan. 10-11, TWRA urges hunters using elevated stands to make safety a priority as most deer hunting accidents involve hunters falling from treestands. Proper use of a fall restraint system could prevent or lessen the severity of these accidents.