Courtesy photo by Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
A hunter is dead after the top of an old growth tree snapped off and dropped about 100 feet onto a tent east of Packwood over the weekend.
The 20-foot length missed one of his companions by inches, according to the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies called about 3 p.m. on Saturday to the elk hunting camp say the victim is a 69-year-old man from Kirkland.
It happened at the Cortright Creek Trailhead off Forest Service Road 45 several miles northeast of Packwood, according to the sheriff’s office.
The two had just returned to the tent after the morning hunt when the incident occurred about 2:30 p.m., Chief Civil Deputy Stacy Brown said.
The man’s hunting partner was able to crawl through the debris to locate the victim who had been struck in the head; CPR was attempted but unsuccessful, Brown said.
Courtesy photo by Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
I think Elmer was referring to TomTT as the “city slicker,” Mike, not the poor guy who got killed.
And yes, TomTT, a tree really DOES fall in the forest. My family has 40 acres of heavily-wooded property near Mossyrock and there are plenty of blow-downs. My wife and I used to live in a mobile home next to some 100-foot Douglas firs there and my biggest worry was that one of them would land on us someday when the winds kicked up.
What a tragedy. My heart goes out to his friends and family.
A tragic occurrence yes, but not an act of God. It was simply an act of nature. Over time the center of a tree dies, the wood rots and a wind blow will break the top out. This occurs even though the tree has green boughs on it’s lower branches. God isn’t in the business of killing people. He is a loving God.
While the comments of the Elmer are inexcusable with family and friends in pain in the wake of this tragedy, there are lessons to be learned here. If as reported, the incident was due to a dead treetop, maybe this is a good lesson for future campers. You do need to pay close attention to the placement of where to place a tent in the woods. The odds of a dead tree, as opposed to a live one falling on someone is multiplied many times over. I guarantee you, the people involved in this tragedy were already questioning themselves on the placement and will for the rest of their lives. I myself, just this weekend, in the Riffe Lake area, escaped serious injury by a few feet from very large branches falling while hunting.
You must pay close attention at all times, but especially during windy conditions to these widow makers.
TomTT Must be another one of those city slickers that don’t know what a widow maker is, let alone a tent in the forest, so everyone please excuse his a unknowledgeable remarks and put in some needed prayers for the family and friend of the victim
what kind of control could the other man possibly have over a tree snapping?! now that is just egly thinking tom i mean these people are upset enough with out this …… i hope you never have to watch my back in any situation!
TomTT…Are you on crack or what…You obviously have no clue about being in the woods…For example we were camped at LaWisWis not very far from where this accident happened..A whole tree fell through our camp site…It was a still sunny and warm day NO WIND..All of a sudden it fell,,,smashing my husbands gparents trailer …my inlaws car and almost hitting my Mom.. and two of my kids were standing around the campfire visiting..Lucky we were all unhurt but it was a wonder some of us weren’t killed…You need to watch what you are saying I knew Joe and know No one wanted to kill him you are totally off base…
TomTT- you need to stop talking like this.. the guy was family with the hunting party that was up there, and yes tops of trees come out all the time. it tells me you don’t go in the woods. Or was raised in the real mountains..
As with everyone else are you really that stupid??First of all this victim is a family member, who has several greiving for him, who don’t need to see someone making this kind of acusations. Thank you to the two of you who have some common sence, and know these things happen. We all know these avid hunters, brave extreme weather conditions, and it is an act of God, bad things happen sometimes. Over the last couple years at this end of the county there have been two bad accidents when a tree feel on vehicles going down the road. One couple didnt survive, while in the second accident, a woman was badly hurt. So yes it was a freak accident, act of God. Along with the Joe’s immeadeate family, my heart goes out to the surrounding hunters who was first at the seen, who attempted to save the victim.
Are you really that stupid Tom.? When a 60 mile per hour wind gust hits a tree, something is going to come out of it. I was on the Lilly basin trail one elk season when a wind storm hit and a huge fir killed a guy in a tent. It happens. Maybe you need to put down the bong and get off the couch once in a while and see what actually happens in the world.
That’s the second time I’ve heard of a death like that. The first one was a cottonwood tree branch that snapped off in early summer up by the East end of Riffe Lake killing one camper and injuring the other. It happens.
Not to mention, if the guy wanted his buddy dead, he could have shot him and said “hunting accident” No reason for the old guy to go through all the trouble of climbing 100 feet up a tree to make sure it snapped off just right to kill his buddy… He sure would have to have good aim though.
The Article says the top of an old growth tree… They are called widowmakers for a reason… look it up.
Hmm, I hope the cops study the scene very carefully, what are the odds that a tree will snap off and crash to the ground, killing one person but leaving the other one unharmed. In all my life I’ve never heard of this happening, it’s quite a coincidence.