September 13, 2011
By Patricio G. Balona, News-JournalOnwline.com
An Orange City teen was shot twice in the foot while out hunting
squirrels at Blue Spring State Park, Volusia County sheriff's
investigators said.
But the three men who were at the park at 1:52 a.m. Saturday were
most likely poaching, said Joy Hill, spokeswoman for the Florida
Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
"Hunting anywhere at Blue Spring State Park would be poaching,"
Hill said.
"It is illegal."
According to a sheriff's report, Joshua Francher, 18, was found
bleeding from the top of his left foot at 2100 French Ave.
Francher, another teen, Nicholas Metrowsky, 17, and Benjamin
Davidson, 24, both of DeLand, were out early Saturday morning about
a half mile into the woods on French Avenue when the shooting
accident occurred, deputies said.
The three men told deputies they were hunting squirrels, a report
states.
According to a wildlife commission officer's report, one
.22-caliber rifle and two 12-gauge shotguns were found with the men.
The men said that while they were going through thick underbrush, as
Francher tried to step over a palm frond, he kicked the rifle
Metrowsky was holding and the gun fired.
"At this point we don't know if the gun malfunctioned, a branch
was in the trigger guard or whether the shooter had his finger on
the trigger," Hill said.
Metrowksy told deputies that while going through some heavy
brush, Francher kicked the side of the .22-caliber rifle, causing it
to fire twice into the top of Francher's left foot. Metrowsky and
Davidson quickly tied a tourniquet on Francher's ankle to slow the
bleeding and called 9-1-1, the report shows.
Francher was airlifted to Halifax Health Medical Center in
Daytona Beach, authorities said. His injuries were not considered
life-threatening.
Charges are pending, Hill said.
