Washington Post 11/28/05 B3 Metro in Brief
A Frederick man died after he fell from a tree stand and became
entangled in his safety harness on the opening day of firearms deer
hunting season, the Maryland Natural Resources Police said yesterday.
Rescuers found Andre Strickland, 53, about midnight Saturday in
Seneca Creek State Park off River Road in Montgomery County.
Strickland was descending from the tree when he got caught in the
harness, police said. The state medical examiner's office classified
the death as an accidental hanging.
A friend who had last seen Strickland entering the woods at 4:30
a.m. Saturday became worried after he was unable to reach Strickland
on his cell phone for several hours. Montgomery police aided in the
search, which involved several dozen law enforcement officers and
search and rescue dogs.
Statistics kept by Natural Resources Police show that falls from
tree stands are the leading cause of hunting injuries but that they
are rarely fatal.
Two other men suffered minor injuries in tree-stand accidents
Saturday. Neither was wearing a safety harness.
Much as those charged with highway safety urge automobile
passengers to wear their seat belts, Natural Resources officials urge
hunters to wear safety harnesses. The fact that a harness was involved
in Strickland's death should not dissuade people from heeding that
advice, Sgt. Ken Turner said.
"This was a fluke," he said. "It was a very tragic accident because
this gentleman did everything he was supposed to do."
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