Shooting news - Duck hunting trip ends in tragedy

Authorities in the United States have revealed that a hunter has died after a dog apparently stepped on his shotgun, causing the weapon to fire resulting in him being fatally wounded.

The tragic shooting accident occurred near Nashville, Tennessee, and left 28-year-old Thomas St. Charles III dead from extensive gunshot wounds to the stomach.

It is understand that St. Charles and a friend, Harold Hamm II, were hunting ducks on the Cumberland River when the incident occurred. It is believed the pair had finished their day’s shooting and St. Charles had got out of the boat to collect decoys when his dog caused the shotgun to discharge.

Whether the gun was a Perazzi, a Beretta, a Browning or another make is unknown but police reports have hinted that it was lying in the bottom of the boat and was stood on by the dog, a retriever named Sandie. A hole is said to have been blown in the side of the boat and St. Charles was hit in the stomach.

Emergency services were called and he was rushed to the nearby Vanderbilt University Medical Center where doctors attempted to treat his shotgun injuries. The wounds were too extensive, however, and he died shortly after arriving at the hospital.

A local dog trainer used the tragic shooting incident to reiterate the importance of keeping pets under control when in the vicinity of firearms.

Keith Milby told reporters, “That dog should have been still. He shouldn’t have been allowed to be moving – jumping around in the boat. People don’t allow other people to jump around in a boat.”

A posting on an online hunting forum, purportedly written by the deceased duck hunter’s sister, claimed that, contrary to media reports, the shotgun had not simply been left lying in the bottom of the boat.

The posting says, “The gun was not laying down, it was propped up on the side of the boat and since they had not killed anything and the dog had not been able to go and retrieve anything her reward for being good was to be able to jump in the water and when she jumped back in she hit the shotgun, knocking it down and her paw hit the safety and then accidentally fired the shotgun.”

The exact events surrounding the tragic shooting remain undecided and police officers are currently involved in a full-scale investigation.

The incident is the second death since Christmas in the local area and several weeks ago a deer hunter was mistakenly shot by his brother.

United States gun clubs are warning their members to practice safe drills at all times and are recommending that suitable hunting and shooting accessories are used whilst out in the field.