Hunter stabbed by his own arrow as he scrambled over fallen tree, Colorado rescuers say

A hunter was pierced in the leg with his own arrow as he climbed over a downed tree in Colorado, rescuers said.

Rescuers responded to the man at about 11:30 a.m. on Sept. 7 in the San Luis Valley near North Decker Creek in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the Saguache County Search and Rescue said in a Facebook post.

After the arrow stabbed his calf muscle, he used his phone to call for help. Rescuers said they told him not to remove the arrow because it could cause uncontrollable bleeding.

The archery hunter waited as search and rescue tried to reach him.

A Colorado Army National Guard helicopter airlifted him from the area by 8 p.m., rescuers said.

San Luis Valley is about 180 mile southwest of Colorado Springs.

Helena Wegner

McClatchy DC

Helena Wegner is a McClatchy National Real-Time Reporter covering the state of Washington and the western region. She’s a journalism graduate from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She’s based in Phoenix.