Hunter injured in fall from Alexander County tree stand

A man was hurt Friday morning in Alexander County, Ill. when he fell about 19 feet while attempting to hand hunting equipment from a tree stand to a friend on the ground. Chris McCloud, public information officer for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, said that details could not be released, but that drugs or alcohol were not thought to be a factor. McCloud said that the stand was properly secured to the tree and that the man, who was not from Illinois, had appropriate safety equipment on hand. Unfortunately, he said, the man unbuckled his safety harness before leaning over to hand his rifle down. "We see that too often," McCloud said. People either unbuckle safety belts or don't wear them, causing accidents and injuries, he said. The department encourages people to obtain necessary safety equipment and use it properly. Safety regulations and recommendations by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources can be found at www.dnr.illinois.gov.