Man dies after falling from tree stand
 

“Officials are investigating a fatal hunting related accident. It happened at about 7:30 p.m. Monday.

Officials with the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said 70-year-old George Olivo of Reidsville was killed from the injuries he suffered when the tree stand he was in fell to the ground.

Olivo was transported to Cone Health where he died.

"As a hunter myself, of course you never want to hear about it, both in my personal life and work life. Again, it's something that could happen to any of us," said North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission Officer Nathan Green.”

http://www.twcnews.com/nc/triad/news...-accident.html

Always use safety harness.

Sorry to hear about this death. Because here always seems to be a story like this every year I would like to rephrase what Hunter4512 Said:

ALWAYS USE A SAFETY HARNESS. ALWAYS USE A SAFETY HARNESS. ALWAYS USE A SAFETY HARNESS. ALWAYS USE A SAFETY HARNESS. Not enough said.

This is why I don't use climbing stands, I build my tree stands in the tree. I well remember a ride down in a Baker tree stand many years ago. What a shame, lived 70 years only to die like that.

Happens every year. Never understood why people don't wear harnesses. Makes no sense.

Some hunters
 

fail to use any safety device, including a safety harness.
Some hunters use a safety harness and die from a fall. Nothing absolute about safety.

It wasn't the climbing stand's fault the fellow didn't wear his safety harness.....

Am I missing where it said he was using a climbing stand?

Folks,
I must be missing something, I followed the link and I have not found the mention of a climbing stand until a reply concerning the incident. It was not in the origional decription or the link. All I saw was a stand fell, could be any stand. A strap could break and a stand fall. Where did I miss the reference to a climbing stand? This is a terrible event and hope we all take precautions as we use our stands but I did miss the climbing stand reference.

I think most here would agree it's wise to minimize risk.

I hate to say this but there is a generation that rejects the use of safety devices. I know I used stands for years without a harness, then it took me a couple of years (and the input from mom) to get my father to use a harness. He is in his mid seventies and uses his climbing stand daily (during season) but now with a harness:-)

Doesn't matter what stand it was. A harness and a tether should have been used whether it was a climber or a ladder stand.
There are safety harnesses and safety straps that will tether the hunter in for both from the ground up and back down when using either.
AND THE ONLY SAFETY VEST TO USE IS A 5 POINT VEST!
For a ladder stand tthere is a system sold now that is a rope which is tied to the bottom rung and then tied up above in conjunction with the prusik knot which slides on that rope and is attached to your safety harness strap and is the way to go. That is what we highly stress now in all of our hunter safety classes. Can yo fall off a ladder stand? You betcha!
Yes it takes more time but it is your life.
Safe Hunting is NO Accident!
Tree Stand Accidents is a Leading cause of hunting accidents in today's world and why it is stressed so heavily on part of the tests to pass Hunter Safety courses.
JW

I'm hardly naïve, Maine. Human nature does lead people to do careless or egotistical things. On the flip side of that coin are stories similar to this one. The real question is: how many examples does it take to make people realize they aren't invincible?

[QUOTE=JW;4220142]Doesn't matter what stand it was. A harness and a tether should have been used whether it was a climber or a ladder stand............/QUOTE]

Very well said!

You will have to excuse me but the details of the stand and why it fell do matter to me as I'd prefer not to fall harness or not. While a harness is great taking the proper steps not to fall or have your stand give way certainly matter.

Thats a terrible accident, i had a stand fall once, i was young and spry and got lucky. He died with his hunting boots on, RIP George.

Terrible accident. Any time you leave the ground there is a chance of an accident. Using all the safety equipment that JW pointed out really reduces the chance of getting hurt. Todays stands and HSS vests are very good as compared to models from years ago. OT my old baker is still up in a tree all grown in with that plywood platform long gone. What a dangerous concept that one was. If you didn't fall the abdominal hernia you would eventually get was almost certain.

I assumed it was a climbing stand because the news article said the stand fell from the tree. Every ladder stand I helped put up had several points of being fastened to the tree. I guess it could have been a home built stand in a tree that was rotten or poorly built.

Always sad to hear things like this.

Stands whether a climber, ladder, fixed or wood all start to wear out, wear the safety equipment and check your gear annually and throughout the season. Many issues here in NC have been experienced due to people building stands into the trees. Great for the first year but many people forget the wood most of the time is not treated, the nails are regular nails that will start to shrink as they rust and it is just a recipe for a disaster. Not saying this is what happened to him but many people forget to op check their gear and assume all is good.

Got a guy in down the street who does rock climbing, he purchased one of those rockwall climbing safety tether/reel and loves it Lag bolted through his trees. It is adjusted enough that if his stand went out from under him or if he fell out he would be lowered to the ground at a slow pace.

One other thing about those Safety Harnesses - the 5 point vests.
Inspect Each yr and look for wear and tear. And if you should fall.

They are a ONE TIME USE if you should slip and fall! The arrest system will be used up. Go buy another.
What is your life worth to you?
JW

Prayers for his family and friends. What a sad thing to hear. It truly shows that you never know when your last day and breath is. RIP bud.

I got one from Gander Mountain on special years ago. I eventually read the fine print, one year guarantee, (paraphrasing) not UV safe (Long-term exposure to sunlight or ultraviolet radiation can affect the strength of synthetic webbing). I guess it was for nighttime use only.

They just dont want you to leave it outside or at the stand while you are not there.

I think they just don't want a lawsuit if it fails.

Yep. Again RIP George, and i wish a sincere condolence to his Fam, this is a sad deal.

You never know, he may be at peace with making it 70 years doing things the way he wanted to.

I hope so, rockport.

I think we all have our risks we are willing to take. I just started using a harness last year and I now use all ladder stands but I still don't use my harness on the way up the ladder and probably never will. I hook to the tree as soon as I get in the stand.

OK then! Please don't disrespect George's death with safety harnesses sales. RIP GEORGE. I hope his Fam does not read this thread :(

I didn't see it mention he used a climber, nor that he did not have a safety harness on. Either way, I feel climbers are much safer than hang-ons when combined with a good harness. I'm attached to the tree 100% of the time when I use my LW. Not 99%. 100%.

Just a 2' jump down from a set of climbing sticks in 2013 cost me 20 months of miserable plantar faciitis. Ended 40 straight years of running 20 miles/week for me. At 56 I am now struggling to get back in shape from inactivity. Be attached 100.00% of the time. Not worth the risk.

5 point vest is not a brand but a configuration of safety equipment made by all the manufacturers and deemed by safety engineers to give a person falling the best chance for living. I think we as members of HNI share the sadness but since it is a hunting site I for one welcome information on how to be safer.

I can only speak for myself and my experiences, I use to climb into stands that were nailed into trees ten years earlier. As long as the steps didn't twist too much and the wood seem strong it was great. Once I progressed to a hang on stand and strap steps I felt great, the nasty double loop safety BELT they supplied was worthless. But I felt secure in the stand, much more than the rotted wood stands.

Once I progressed to a climbing stand and it came with a five point harness, I now feel naked when in a stand without the harness (which has happened a few times due to forgetting a component).

I did feel the safety harness was needed and spoke to my father about it, he was resistant for quite a while, he had been a contractor and scaled buildings and heights for years and was fearless. He finially relented and wears one religiously.

It does take all of us varying experiences to take the step, I promote it with all new hunters (which I will be speaking with one Tuesday who works with my wife). I believe it is important to wear one but it wasn't instantaneous with the first time I heard about safety belts/harnesses.

My thought with the grieving family.

Coincidentally my uncle broke his back in 2 places this week from a treestand fall. No paralysis fortunately, and he was discharged today. He was building a stand in a tree, and not wearing a harness while doing so. Luckily he was with his cousin who was able to get help. Stay safe everyone- wear a harness!

I can relate to that. I simply stumbled and landed on a pointed stump in my side and ribs a little over a year ago. Could not breath at first. This led to back problems I now have. I am your age and I ran too. And I got numbness in my foot. Working my way back. I would recommend you do planks daily as you get back in shape - you really need those stomach and back muscles to run.

As this all relates to stand safety - you don't have to be 50 ft up to get really screwed up!

gjersey I did not mean to disrespect George or his family or belittle his death. It is very tragic! I am deeply saddened to read this post. I feel very bad for that man and his family ~ I really do!

However - His death was totally preventable and The Hunter Ed Instructor which I am ~ came out in me. It is a teaching moment for others and not a selling moment. A 5point harness is the safest harness one can wear, that in case of a fall in any said manufactured tree stand it will save your life. And improvements are being made all the time as with that safety rope with the Prusik knot.
That is all I meant nothing more. To prevent futher tragedy for someone else.

Sorry if I offended. But at times the hard truth offends everyone.

JW

I read that statistically one in 4 tree stand hunters will have a falling accident some time in their lives. A very good friend of mine who is a Vt hunter ed instructor fell from his climber just as he was getting ready to hitch up at the top. He said he knew the risks and had always attached on the way up but this one time took a shortcut. He ended up breaking his neck and was sidelined for months. If this whole thread makes one person safer than it was worth posting the safety info.

Sorry, i'm sure we are all saddened by any fellow hunters death. I had a friend get killed in a motorcycle crash and it upset me how the news and people always brought up the fact that he didn't wear a helmet, when talking of his death. I'm overly touchy now on these kind of things.

Happens all too often, and man what a tragedy and what this guy's family must be dealing with. Got to be a tough deal.

Those of you who have read any of my possts about harness use know where I am headed ! Using a quality , 5-point style fall restraint system is a simple, relatively inexpensive method to mitigate the chances of suffering a severe injury falling form a tree stand. I use one every time I go up .... ladder, climber, lock-on .... dones not matter. I will be in my HSS fall restraint and attached.

Another point sort of lost on this thread is that it is imperative to inspect your stands before use and get them in safe cndition. I will be doing just that a couple of days next week. And say a little prayer for this family along the way.

Call me what you want, but I fail to understand it. You wear a condom for protection, wear a seat belt for protection, wear a hard hat for protection. Why not a safety harness for protection. All are to keep you from getting hurt or dying!!!!!

Don't be silly protect your Willy!

I am on board where it is not the stands fault he didn't have a harness on . I am a big SOB. I use a summit climber, and I am not trying to push them here, I personally like it. Thank the lord and pass the hat I have never had a slip or fall . But I still wear my harness. Its not if your going to fall but when .