Md. Hunter in Critical Condition After Shooting
Responders took 35 minutes to rescue man from thick woods
Saturday, Jan 7, 2012 | Updated 4:29 PM EDT
AP
A hunter is in critical condition after being shot in the abdomen while hunting Saturday.
The shooting occurred in a heavily wooded area about half a mile off the road near the intersection of Indian Head Highway and Old Fort Road in Fort Washington. Prince George's County Firefighters/Medics responded at around 1:15 p.m.
Due to the thickness of the woods, emergency personnel had to ferry medical and rescue equipment to the wounded man on foot. Once the wound was treated and the man secured to a stretcher, he was carried out of the woods and taken to a Maryland State Police helicopter, which airlifted him to a local trauma center.
Officials said the rescue operation was completed 35 minutes after it began. Incident commander Major Ken McSwain credited Saturday's unseasonably warm weather for both allowing the operation to go faster than it would have in normal conditions, as well as preventing the victim from going into shock.
Authorities have not released any information about the wounded man, but estimate him to be around 60 years old. An investigation into the shooting will be handled by the Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Police Department.
