MESSAGE FROM BOSA PRESIDENT - BARRY ARRINGTON 20 YEARS AGO TODAY. Those of you that know me are aware of my physical condition. What many of you don’t know are the details that lead to me being in a wheelchair. If nothing else at least LOOK AT THE PHOTOS showing me before and after the accident to get a feel of what can happen if youre not careful. On Sunday October 30, 1994 I went scouting for a place to hang a tree stand to bowhunt out of. I found a great spot then went back to our farm shop to get a stand and all my gear. What I did next was totally out of the norm for me. For some reason I swung by my parent’s house and told my Dad EXACTLY where I was going to go to put up a stand. This may very well have saved my life. Back in the woods I had my screw in steps in the tree and my stand was locked in place. All that remained was to get into the stand and check for shooting lanes which, as all of you bowhunters know, is a must. To get onto the stand platform I had to unhook my safety belt. I did so and stepped up onto the stand but I DID NOT re-attach my safety belt which turned out to be a HUGE MISTAKE on my part. I was only in the stand a few minutes and was ready to climb down when something gave way and I fell. Perhaps my injury wouldn’t have been as severe had my thigh not caught on one of the screw in steps. The step dug deep into my flesh and in doing so flipped me upside down causing me to land on my head. I vividly remember the tingling sensation that circulated throughout my whole body as I lay on the ground. At first I thought that I would just lay there a while to regain my senses and be on my way but it quickly became clear that something was VERY WRONG with my body. For a brief moment I was scared then I remembered telling my Dad where I was going. That brought me comfort. I knew that by doing so someone would come looking for me, it would probably be after dark but someone would come. It was mid afternoon when the fall occurred. The sun soon set and daylight turned to dark. I knew it was just a matter of time then before someone came looking for me. I had lost all track of time when I heard the faint sound of a vehicle coming my way. Closer and closer it came, I heard doors open and shut and then I heard voices calling my name. I tried to answer but all I could manage was a loud whisper. The injury had also affected my ability to yell. The guys continued calling for me as I lay there unable to let them know where I was. Soon I heard footsteps but it was not the guys searching for me, it was my dog Smokey. He came to me and placed his paw on my chest as if to say ‘’Let’s go home.” Little did I know it would a long time before I saw Smokey or home again. Moments later my brother and three friends found me. I remember telling them that it was bad and that I was sure I was paralyzed. Things start to get a little fuzzy here as I was going into shock. I vaguely remember being carried out of the woods on a stretcher and being loaded into a helicopter. I was flown to a Roanoke hospital where they evaluated my injury then loaded back up and flown to UVA Medical Center Diagnosis: Severely dislocated 6th and 7th vertebrae, spinal cord crushed, paralyzed from the chest down. I’ll never forget lying in a bed in the ICU shortly after spinal surgery and the sedation was wearing off. It was night time and my room was dark. I called for a nurse and asked that she turn the light on in the room. My reason for wanting light… I could not feel my legs so I wanted to be able to see them just to make sure they were still there. Over the next year I would spend a total of 24 weeks in rehab. Among numerous other things I had to learn how to feed myself, how to brush my teeth, how to shave, how to dress. I had to learn how to LIVE again. All because I made the fatal mistake of NOT re-attaching my safety belt. 3 things I want other hunters to learn from my mistake… 1. ALWAYS tell someone where you will be while hunting or putting up a stand. 2. ALWAYS wear your safety belt or harness while in a tree stand. 3. NEVER take anything for granted, your life can change in a split second. I’m not writing this to gain your pity instead I want your help to spread the word about treestand safety. If you have friends that hunt please SHARE this with them and hopefully the mistake I made 20 years ago will help prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future.
Posted on: Thu, 30 Oct 2014 19:42:34 +0000
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