After a bad accident a few years ago --i am believer.
The "funny" thing was i wore a safety religiously while in a tree but I took it off to descend with my climbing stand. --I got away with it houndreds of times .One evening while coming down the platform didnt bite and i lost hold of the handclimber/seat.The platform eventually dug back into the tree but when it did I was hanging upside down with my feet still strapped to it. That evening I broke all the rules--left my cell phone in the truck--was alone--and no one knew where i was hunting. One other hunted the other side but later i found he left early that day.
No matter how hard i tried i could not get myself right side up and the more i tried the more the pain in my ankles and knee increased.It was dark,cold,I was scaredand the pain was getting worse. Panic started to set in --i realized i was alone andwould hang there all night untill someone found me or i had to figure away out.After awhile the pain in my ankles and knee just became unbearable and I decided i couldnt hang there any longer. I tried to figure out how high i was and knowing there was no stumps/logs belowIfigured cutting my feet free was about the only thing I could do. I Thought it out --had fear of landing on my head,breaking my back or neckor on the knife. The pain became unbearable and I finnally got brave (or stupid) enough and cut the straps holding my feet to the stand.I tossed the knife and tried to stay kind of tucked up . I landed kind of on the back side of my shoulder. Hitting the ground was quite a thud but a relief in the same. I laid there abit and not believing what had happened and that i was not in worse shape.--my knee and ankles and shoulder hurt but nothing else. I sat up and decided to get out of there and after about an hour and 800 yrds of limping/crawling i was at my truck.
Final damage--2 broken ankels with ligament and tendon damage, severe bone bruise in knee joint and bruised shoulder/rotator cuff and 6 months off work.
Still all in all i feel i was extremly lucky .It could have been so much worse--guess someone was watching over me that evening.
Made me a believer . I will now not hunt without a full harness. I always make sure and I have my cell phone.
I did give up the climbing stands though(I really miss using them). Not that it was the stands fault or that I dont trust it but once was enoughan did it could happen twice it would happen to me.