Rural Salem Deer Hunter Injured in Fall

A timely story at the start of firearm deer hunting season and the need for safety by hunters.

A rural Salem man was injured last Thursday when climbing into a tree stand in rural Iuka. Frank Clutter had to crawl out to the road with an apparent broken leg after he fell and wasn’t found until nine hours later.

Marion County Sheriff Kevin Cripps says Clutter fell about 15 feet to the ground when climbing into the stand around 5:15 in the morning. Since he was hunting alone and had left his phone in his vehicle, Clutter's only choice was to crawl towards the road.

After getting close to the road, the sheriff says Clutter was located by his brother who had gone looking for him when he failed to return home. An Air Evac helicopter was called to the scene. Clutter was then transported to a St. Louis Hospital for treatment. Cripps said Clutter had to undergo surgery for his injuries.

The Iuka Fire Department and United Medical Response joined the sheriff on the scene.