VIENNA, Md. – A 69-year-old Baltimore man died Tuesday afternoon after falling from a tree stand he was repairing, according to the Maryland Natural Resources police.
Candy Thomson, the public information officer for DNR police, described what happened.
“He was up there with three employees repairing the tree stand and he went for the top rung and fell backwards 15 feet,” she said.
The victim's name is Emmanuel Pikounis. Thomson said he was preparing the tree stand on family property, preparing for the hunting season, when the accident happened.
In a press release, DNR police said the top step of the ladder gave way and Pikounis plunged head-first to the ground.
Officials said the employees with Pikounis tried to revive him and called 911.
He was taken to Dorchester General Hospital in Cambridge and pronounced dead.
During the 2013 hunting season, Thomson says there were two fatal tree stand falls and 16 non-fatal falls across Maryland.
Thomson offered some advice to help people avoid future accidents like this.
“Best way to avoid mishap is to make sure the tree stand is in proper working order,” Thomson said. “When you go to climb the stand always use a climbing belt that will keep you attached to something... it is also important to always wear a full harness that clips on to the tree because that will help break your fall.”
