A 17-year-old hunter was killed after he impaled himself on his rifle. Justin Lee Smith, from Supply, North Carolina, was hunting near the Alcorn County line in Mississippi when his stand turned and he fell onto his gun, WFMY reports. While he was able to call for help, he didn’t survive his injuries and died soon after.
- Smith fell nearly 10 feet to his death. According to Tishomingo County coroner Mack Wilemon, as reported by WTVA-TV, Smith was in a ladder stand last month when the stand turned, causing the boy to fall nearly 10 feet and impale himself on his rifle.
- He called 911 on his cell phone. Following the accident, Smith was still conscious and able to dial 911 for help. However, his injuries were too severe and he was unable to be saved.
- Wildlife officials are still investigating the incident. While the specific details of the accident have not been released, wildlife officials are said to be continuing an investigation into what went wrong.
- The family started a GoFundMe to fund Smith’s funeral costs. While both of Smith’s parents, Justin and Jamie, previously had a life insurance policy that would have covered the costs, a recent job change meant those policies were deactivated and the family would need help. “It’s never easy to lose someone, but to lose them so young is devastating,” the page says. “Due to a recent job change the life insurance policy that would have covered funeral expenses was deactivated. The family thanks you again for any help and prayers.”
