RTA47,
God was watching over you that day. I had a close encounter almost like yours. I was hunting by myself one evening and my stand had no ratchet straps, just the chain. Sometimes it was tight enough and it was too loose other wise. I had my bow and gear up on my stand and i was about to step onto my stand when it fell completely off the tree![] I had no safety harness on, and i grabbed on to a small branch with my gear bag hanging to it. I managed to swing around and catch a big part of the tree and land safe.
Earlier in the season of this year, i still was just using the chain of my stand and nothing else, when one morning ,(no harness again) i ventured out to hunt one winter morning. We had gotten a icy rain the night before, and I knew I would have to be careful. I was only using a 4 ft. section of ladder and i had to climb the rest of the way to my stand ( Never going to do again) I slipped on a icy branch and grabbed my rope that i originally used for hoisting my bow up and tried to hold myself up when it snapped clean in 2! I fell maybe 10' and caught hold of one branch and wrapped my arms around it like a boa constricter. My fingers were so cold I was letting loose and not feeling it. I prayed to GoD not to let me fall because I had a 20' drop to an ice covered sharp branch that was sticking out from the side of the tree, it was pointing straight up at me. I asked God to let me live to another day and not fall.
Next thing I know the sun had started to come out. I hung from that branch for about a hour and a half before it started to melt my icy tree. I had enough strength to pull myself up and get grip of a branch that was close by. I climbed down and never told anyone about it. I thank God I lived from the experience and I know he was watching over me. Now i ALWAYS wear a safety belt, and I also have a couple ratchet straps and a T screw in my stand to be SURE i won't have it fall out again!