Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Hunter gets impaled by elk he just killed

Hospital officials say the 69-year-old hunter is in a fair condition 

Loulla-Mae Eleftheriou-Smith
Tuesday 08 November 2016 17:01 GMT
Comments
(Crook County Sheriff's Office)

Your support helps us to tell the story

This election is still a dead heat, according to most polls. In a fight with such wafer-thin margins, we need reporters on the ground talking to the people Trump and Harris are courting. Your support allows us to keep sending journalists to the story.

The Independent is trusted by 27 million Americans from across the entire political spectrum every month. Unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock you out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. But quality journalism must still be paid for.

Help us keep bring these critical stories to light. Your support makes all the difference.

A hunter who shot and killed an elk while on a trip near Oregon’s Maury Mountains has been impaled by the animal’s antlers as he attempted to drag it back to his camp.

Gary Heeter, 69, from Bend, Oregon, was hunting with a group on Saturday morning when he killed the elk.

Mr Heeter attached the elk to his four-wheeler and began driving back to the camp. But when he encountered a steep hillside his vehicle flipped upwards and the hunter was sent backwards onto the animal, becoming impaled in the back, The Oregonian reported.

The group Mr Heeter had been hunting with performed first aid on him to control the bleeding, while first responders from the Crook County Fire and Medical department also attended the man.

"When the deputy arrived at the crash scene […] he found Heeter was conscious and communicative, but appeared to be going into shock,” a spokesperson from the Crook County Sheriff’s office said.

A Life Flight helicopter was sent to area but was unable to find somewhere to land safely straightaway due to the rocky clearings and wooded areas, Sergeant Ryan Seaney of the office said, according to KVAL.com.

Mr Heeter was eventually flown to St Charles hospital in Bend where he is said to be in a fair condition.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in