Treestand Safety: 'I Never Dreamed I Would Fall'

Video courtesy of Summit Treestands

September is Treestand Safety Awareness Month and Summit Treestands is hoping for a safe and successful season for all the hunters who are heading back to the woods.

To get the word out at such an opportune time, the company produced and shared (above) a short video featuring the cautionary tale of Alabama hunter Tim Crawford's fall from a treestand in 2008.

It was Oct. 15, 2008 — the opening day of deer season — when the avid bowhunter fell 25 feet to the ground as he climbed his stand. He had whitetails on his mind and wasn't wearing a safety harness.

• Click here for the entire video from Summit Treestands

"In the blink of an eye, I was laying on the ground knocked out," said Crawford, who layed paralyzed for eight hours until his dog found him and saved his life. "I've hunted for 25 years climbing tree stands. I never dreamed I would fall. ... but it happened."

Crawford was lucky. He defied the odds and regained full mobility. He hopes his don't-do-what-I-did message will resonate with other hunters.

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