Hunter Dies After Falling From Tree Stand

With hunting comes inherent dangers, but sometimes the most dangerous situations happen when you least expect it, like sitting in a tree stand. A hunter in Mason County, Michigan was found dead recently at the base of his tree stand.

Robert Jankowski, 56, was bow hunting when he apparently fell from the stand at around 8 pm on Saturday. It was unclear what exactly caused the accident, but authorities noted that the hunter was not tethered in by a secure harness, according to Up North Live.

Devices such as the Hunter Safety System, emulate a climbing rope and harness and are used in case of accidents like this one. Tree stands can be quite small and it’s easy for hunters to lose their balance, especially after getting sleepy just sitting there for so many hours.

Tree stands can also fail as evidenced by the below video. Make sure when you head out into the woods this year you take extra precaution setting up those tree stands, and find a harness system that you can rely on.