November 8, 20911
By Jodie Tweed, BrainerdDispatch.com
The faith community in the lakes area is praying for a Brainerd
associate pastor who was critically injured early Saturday when he
fell 15 feet from his deer stand, breaking his back.
Faith Baptist Church associate pastor Max Day was hunting in
Itasca State Park early Saturday morning with two of his sons and a
granddaughter when the accident occurred.
Senior Pastor Jim Goodew of Faith Baptist said Tuesday that the
accident happened about 7:15 a.m. Saturday during deer hunting
opening weekend. Day had climbed nearly the entire 15 feet to his
deer stand but then the final peg came out of the tree, sending him
into a freefall onto the ground.
Goodew said thankfully Day had his cell phone and was able to
call his son, who is a law enforcement officer who immediately
called for an ambulance, sheriff’s department and a helicopter
lifeflight to North Memorial Medical Center in Robbinsdale. Goodew
said Day’s son had his father turn on his flashlight so they could
find him.
“They’re very careful hunters,” said Goodew. “I was talking to
his son and they get into harnesses in the stand. That last peg just
gave out and there was nothing to hold on to.”
According to Day’s CaringBridge website, his CT scan revealed
that his T11 vertebrae was crushed and pressing on his spine. He has
no feeling from the mid-abdomen on down. Goodew said Day had surgery
Monday to put rods in to stabilize his back.
Day, who is 65, was physically fit and active. He worked out at a
local gym each morning and a couple of months ago was out in
Colorado elk hunting with his sons, said Goodew.
Day, who came from the Twin Cities area, has been an associate
pastor at Faith Baptist Church for the past five years. He and his
wife Sharon have five children.
“We’re all pretty stunned,” said Goodew.
Goodew said parishioners at the Sunday night service devoted the
entire service to a prayer time for Day. Every 15 minutes specific
directions were given on what to ask the Lord for in helping in his
recovery, Goodew said.
“He’s just a very energetic, focused guy that really wants to
serve the Lord,” Goodew said of Day. “When I visited him in the
hospital he was so apologetic to me because he can’t help me. That’s
his mindset.”
Goodew said Day and his wife had been interested in mission work
in the near future.
“This has really changed his life,” said Goodew. “He was hoping
to go into the mission fields and do mission furlough replacement.
That’s just the kind of person he is. He wants to see people know
the Lord.”
To stay updated on Day’s condition and to leave a message of
support for him and his family, visit his CaringBridge website,
www.caringbridge.org/visit/maxday1.
JODIE TWEED may be reached at jodie.tweed@brainerddispatch.com or
855-5858.
