Middlebury man injured when cables break on tree stand

LAGRANGE COUNTY, Ind. - A Middlebury man was injured in an incident involving a tree stand on Monday, according to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

At 3:30 p.m., Indiana Conservation officers responded to the 3500 block of West State Road 120 for a person who was seriously injured.

According to reports, a 36-year-old Middlebury man was removing a hang-on style tree stand from a private property when the cables supporting the stand broke.

The victim, who was alone when the incident occurred, fell approximately 17 feet to the ground. He wasn't wearing a safety harness at the time, reports said.

Despite the fall, the victim was able to get his cellphone and call a relative, who called 911 for him.

The victim was treated on scene and then flown to a hospital in serious condition with injuries to his legs.

Conservation officers are reminding community members to wear a full-body harness and to use a tree stand's safety rope when using elevated platforms.

Individuals should also never try to put up or remove a tree stand alone and always inspect a stand before climbing into it, officers said.