Second Ill. hunter dies in fall from deer stand
November 21, 2010
SHAWNEETOWN, Ill. – Another Southern Illinois deer hunter has died in a fall from a deer stand. An autopsy conducted Saturday confirmed that William Hazel, 52 of Eldorado, Ill. died from internal injuries after falling out of a deer stand last Friday evening.
Gallatin County Coroner Tony Cox says Hazel had been hunting with his son Friday morning at a remote location about a half mile south of Old Shawneetown. Cox said the son finished hunting for the day, but his father returned to the woods later in the afternoon.
When Hazel failed to return home, family members went searching for him. His son found his body at the base of a tree around 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Coroner Cox said the victim had fallen approximately 17 feet out of a deer stand and died of internal injuries.
Hazel’s death marks the second deer stand fatality in Southern Illinois in the past week. Also on Friday, Conrad Mills, 60 of Carmi, Ill. died when he fell from a tree stand in the Dolan Lake State Park in rural Hamilton County. .