NY: Hunter Airlifted After Accidentally Shooting Himself In The Arm

A 26-year-old Catskill man was hospitalized after a hunting accident, according to Ulster County Sheriff deputies.

Early Saturday morning, Ulster County Sheriff deputies responded to the area of Woods Road in the Town of Kingston for the report of a man with a gunshot wound. The 26-year-old Catskill man who had been shot had called 911 himself, and walked out of the woods to his pickup truck.

Investigators say the man was hunting alone with a 30/30 lever action rifle with the firing hammer exposed and set to the firing position. The rifle discharged unexpectedly when the man was attempting to enter his tree stand.

Deputies say the man sustained a large single gunshot wound to his left forearm.

Sheriff deputies provided immediate first aid by applying a tourniquet to the man’s arm and a pressure bandage to his wound. Empress MLSS and the Sawkill Fire Department arrived shortly after and continued to treat the injured hunter before he was taken to a nearby landing zone and then airlifted to Westchester Medical Center by LifeNet.