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One week ago tonight, a fall was the last thing on my mind when I set out for an evening hunt.
This would be my first time out this season. Work, family responsibilities, and yes procrastination, had kept me out of the woods thus far. Maybe even lack of interest due to old age. But, we do love venison and being the early muzzleloader season off I went. It was looking like the perfect evening, cool and cloudy with no breeze. Driving in to my property I saw several deer so I was confident that the evening would be productive. After parking my truck, I made a slow walk into my stand, sneaking and pausing, hoping to come across a nice fat doe. Seeing nothing, I made the last approach to my stand and climbed into the base.
Our stand is 16′ tall to the base. We built it very well and constructed with safety in mind.
Slowly and carefully I climbed into the stand. Reaching the bottom, I opened the hatch which is located in the floor. I placed my gun in a corner and looked around making sure there weren’t any mice or snakes that were going to jump on me. (I once had a bad experience with a squirrel in another stand!) By this time, I was up to my waist inside the stand. I cannot stress enough that I was moving slowly and carefully. The next thing I knew, was a feeling like the ground had been pulled out from under me. I was falling and falling fast. My boots must have picked up some mud from the walk in. That must have helped my foot slip off the ladder but I really don’t know. I do know that my feet or legs must have struck the ladder. Because what had started as feet first was now a head first fall.
Our brains are amazing. In that relatively short fall I distinctly remember thinking and doing four different things.
The first thing, once I realized that I was heading headfirst towards a wooden platform was to think, “I am dead”. Next, I desperately flailed my arms and legs about hoping to grab or slow myself down with the ladder or a cross brace. Third, I said my favorite nickname for my wife (yes, i really did) and last but not least, I tried to curl up in a ball hoping to protect my head and neck. These thoughts and the sounds of that fall are still with me every time I close my eyes. The sounds of the rustling and ripping of clothes and the thumps and cracks of my body striking the wooden supports.
My next memory is finding myself on the ground outside of the stand.
I believe that I must have been somewhat successful trying to grab a cross brace and I was flipped outside of the stand. My initial thought was one of amazement because I did not think I was injured. But it did not take my brain long to let me know that I was injured and probably pretty badly. I was lying on my side in the fetal position and found that I could not straighten out. Then feelings of pain, numbness, and a weird buzzing overwhelmed me. I knew I had to get help. Amazingly, my phone was still clipped to my waist although it was a long struggle to get to it. I called my wife and you guessed it….no service! Struggling to my feet, I hobbled to a point where I found service. When my wife answered, I tried to use some humor, but she immediately knew something was wrong. I told my wife that I fell and I was hurt bad and I asked her to call my uncle and friend and to have them come quickly. I told her not to come. (yeah right) I didn’t tell her the reason was because I did not want her to see my body in its current twisted condition. Before I hung up, I asked her to be quiet and tearfully said that I loved her. You see, I very much thought that I was bleeding internally and would not see her again.
After disconnecting with my wife I called 911.
I got a very professional dispatcher named Mike. Mike asked all of the pertinent questions. I did not have an address for him since it is just our hunting property. I told him that I was going to start walking to the road because I wanted my family to find me if I passed out. He was able to quickly find the signal for my phone on his map and said help was on its way. The distance between where I fell and to the road was about 1/2 mile. I started walking with a determined one foot next foot gait. I was about about halfway out when my friend Donny and my Uncle Ray arrived. They wanted to put me in a truck but I told them I was hurting too badly and to just pick me up if I passed out. Almost out, I spotted my wife at the roads edge and continued my determined hobbling gait. My wife was upset that I was walking until I told her why.
The ambulance, more family, friends, and neighbors arrived pretty quickly.
The Paramedics called me in as a level 2 trauma and quickly got me to the help that I needed. I will not go into the next uncomfortable hours but the end results were; a dislocated and fractured shoulder, badly bruised lungs, and more scrapes and contusions than I can count. I am doing better than I was, but still have a lot of healing and possible surgeries ahead of me. The WoodWorking Baker is out of commission for a while! I saw fear and pain in my wife’s, children, family, and friends eyes that I wish I never put there…..but I guess I will at least one more time.
I did not write this post to glorify myself or look for sympathy.
It is written as a reminder about how fragile life is. And that it can change in an instant. How we shouldn’t take any moment with our loved ones lightly. And most importantly I believe that we are made with an eternal soul. And that the decisions we make in this life affect how that soul will spend eternity. Please take that seriously.
Tim says
Glad your ok old friend. Still want to come up and hang out again sometime. Enjoy the hugs and love from your great family, so glad you were able to reach them and get help.
God bless.
timsburg@thewoodworkingbaker.com says
Thank you old friend!
Abram says
Oh man. This is powerful. My eyes are weld up with tears. I don’t know you but I’m grateful you are ok. I pray you recover. Thank you for sharing .🙏🏻
timsburg@thewoodworkingbaker.com says
Thank you sir and I appreciate the prayers!
Dawn McKinney says
So glad weren’t any worse then they were. When you think about how things could have ended you know that God was with you. I’m praying for a speedy and uneventful recovery. And we’ll said in your letter to us all.
timsburg@thewoodworkingbaker.com says
Thank you. It was a scary time but I seem to be on the mend. Hopefully I can avoid surgery. Thank you for the prayers!
Trish Doherty says
My thoughts are with you and your family. It seems someone was watching out for you.
timsburg@thewoodworkingbaker.com says
Thank you! You are right. It could easily have been worse. Hope all is well with you and yours.
Jim Heller says
Tim, I just read the story. From one OLD hunter to another, you are very lucky. These older bodies take longer to heal. I am glad you got to write about the fall and that you are going to be O K. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family. Take care, listen to your doctor and maybe you should give Ray and I the deer tags for this year. Hope this got a smile, and glad to see Grampa’s little girl is with you. Take care and keep in touch my friend.
timsburg@thewoodworkingbaker.com says
Jim, lying on the ground I thought the exact same thing. “I am too old for this!” I do feel fortunate cause it could have been a whole lot worse. As for the tags, great minds must think alike. Mr. Gasper volunteered as well! Thanks for reaching out and the kind words. It is good hearing from you.
Carol Swingle says
Well, Tim, you made me cry. So glad you are on the mend and doing okay. God is indeed good, but you just never know when He has a lesson or two for us. Know that you are loved.
timsburg@thewoodworkingbaker.com says
I am afraid that I made lots of folks cry! Julie still won’t let me out of her sight. I am very thankful. Love you too!
Hope says
I’m so sorry you had to experience. I have a similar understanding of what you went through. I hope your healing is thorough and you can sleep at night.❤️
timsburg@thewoodworkingbaker.com says
You do understand because sleep is currently the problem! But we are working on it.
Jan Gillette says
Praying for your complete recovery. We never know what a day will hold for us, but we know who plans our days. Thank you Tim for sharing.
timsburg@thewoodworkingbaker.com says
Thank you and thank you for praying!