Hunter shoots himself in chest in Oak Mountain State Park accident

PELHAM, Al.

A man was flown to UAB Hospital this morning after he accidentally shot himself in the chest at Oak Mountain State Park, according to park officials.

Park superintendent Michael Jeffreys said the man fell out of a tree stand while hunting deer with bow and arrows. The park hosts such hunts to control the deer population. The man had a handgun in his pocket and it fired once hitting him in the chest.

The man, who is in his late 30s, called 911 from his cell phone and Jeffreys said he found him. The man was flown to UAB Hospital in Birmingham where he is in stable condition in the hospital's trauma unit.

The accident happened about  10:30 this morning.