Whiting man injured in tree stand fall

LUCERNE – Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a tree stand fall that occurred Saturday morning in Cass County.

At approximately 9:34 a.m., county emergency dispatch received a call of an injured hunter from falling from a tree stand near the area of 200 West and 1000 North.

Daniel Badia, 71, of Whiting, was deer hunting from the stand when he lost his footing on the platform and fell. Not wearing a full-body safety harness at the time, he fell approximately 14 feet, sustaining serious leg, arm, and torso injuries.  

Badia was transported via ambulance to St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lafayette and later transferred to Ascension St. Vincent Hospital in Indianapolis.

Conservation officers remind Hoosiers that the most common hunting-related injuries are from accidents involving tree stands and elevated platforms. All hunters should wear a full body safety harness when going up to and getting down from elevated platforms. For more information, see hunting.IN.gov.  

Other assisting agencies included Cass County Sheriff’s Department, Cass County EMS, and the Lucerne and Royal Center fire departments.