WA: Hunter shoots himself in leg

November 1, 2009

Man airlifted after shooting himself in leg

YAKIMA, Wash. -- A 68 year-old man from Colfax, Wash., was injured in a hunting accident Saturday morning, according to a news release from the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office. The man, whose name has not been released, inadvertently shot himself in the lower leg in the area of Fish Creek Road.

The preliminary investigation revealed the man had been hunting elk approximately a half-mile east of Fish Creek Road, according to the release. He was walking in an area where the uneven terrain consisted of a clay-like mud, which made foot travel difficult.

The man slipped while he was walking. When he slipped, the firearm he was carrying discharged, causing a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The man was able to call his hunting partners for help using an FRS radio. Emergency personnel on scene, along with other hunters in the vicinity, were able to help the man to an area where he could be transported to the awaiting Advanced Life Systems ambulance.

The ambulance then transported him to a Life Flight Network helicopter that was standing by at the Tieton emergency airstrip. The helicopter then transported the man to a local hospital.

Return to Hunting Accident Index

Fair Use Notice: This document may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners. We believe that this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.

C.A.S.H.
P.O. Box 13815, Las Cruces, NM 88013
Phone: 575-640-7372
E-mail:

C.A.S.H. is a committee of Wildlife Watch, Inc.
a 501(c)3 Not-for-Profit Corporation.
Contributions are tax-deductible.