MILO, Iowa – DNR conservation officers responded to a tree stand fall in rural Warren County on Saturday, January 5 around 9:30 a.m.
Clifford Brant was transported by medical helicopter to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines after falling approximately 30 feet while trying to take down his tree stand. Brant was finished hunting and had climbed down from the stand to drop off his hunting equipment and then returned to the stand and removed the top strap when he began to fall. He was unable to grab onto a nearby tree branch and fell, losing consciousness for some time.
Brant had several broken ribs and a punctured lung but is expected to make a full recovery.
The DNR reminds hunters to practice the ABCs of tree stand safety:
- Always remove and inspect your equipment
- Buckle on your full-body harness
- Connect to the tree before your feet leave the ground