DeKalb County man injured after falling from tree stand

DEKALB CO. – Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a tree stand accident that occurred Thursday afternoon in DeKalb County.

At approximately 4:30 p.m., officers and emergency personnel responded to the area near the intersection of County Road 17 and County Road 28 in the town of Auburn for a report of a hunter falling from a tree stand.

Upon arrival on scene, officers discovered that Nicholas Pranger, 28, of Ashley, was attempting to climb onto his tree stand when he fell. Pranger was wearing a full-body harness; however, it was not fully connected when he fell to the ground.

Pranger was transported to Parkview Regional Medical Center in stable condition with a back injury. The incident is still under investigation.

Indiana Conservation Officers would like to remind all hunters to wear a full-body safety harness when hunting from an elevated hunting platform and to stay connected.

Assisting agencies include the Corunna Fire Department and the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Department.