16-year-old injured while duck hunting

Litchfield, Minn. — On Monday, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a hunting accident in Forest City Township near Litchfield. According to a press release from the department, deputies responded just after 7 a.m. Oct. 19 to a call in the 29000 block of County Road 14.

Deputies found three 16-year-old males duck hunting from a boat on Powers Lake. According to the release, the trio had shot at a group of ducks when one of the hunters dropped his gun. When the gun landed, it discharged, striking one of the teenagers from rural Dassel in the leg.

The other two hunters called emergency services and provided medical care by applying an improvised tourniquet to the injured leg.

After emergency services arrived, a Mayo Ambulance took the teen to Meeker Memorial Hospital. He was then transferred by air ambulance to North Memorial Health in Robbinsdale with what are believed to be non-life-threatening injuries, according to the release.

Joe Albert, DNR Enforcement Division communications coordinator, said this is the first firearms-related hunting incident this year. The division has not yet received a report detailing the circumstances of the incident but reminded hunters to practice safe firearm handling.

All hunters should treat every firearm as if it were loaded, always control the muzzle of a firearm, and know what is beyond your target. Albert added to keep your finger outside of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot.