Hunter falls with gun, shoots woman dead


Port Elizabeth - A woman has been shot dead on a well-known safari and game farm in the Eastern Cape after a hunter fell while holding a firearm.

The incident happened at about 16:00 on Sunday on the Huntershill Safaris game farm just outside Queenstown, Netwerk24 reported.

"The hunter was on his way out, when his gun fell on the floor. A shot went off and a 34-year-old woman was hit. She died at the scene," police spokesperson Namhla Mdleleni said.

The woman hasn't been named yet.

Police are investigating a case of murder.

The owner of the farm, Greg Harvey, hasn’t been available for comment.

President of Hunters SA, Gerhard Verdoorn, said if a firearm were to fall hard, a shot could go off.

"Even if the firearm's safety catch is on, it can slide if the firearm were to fall hard, especially if it is a cheap firearm."

He said hunters walking alone in the veld sometimes cocked their firearms without engaging the safety catch.

"But when people walk in a group or if there are people with the hunter, it's best not to walk with a cocked gun. People sometimes forget they're carrying a lethal weapon. If there is someone in the room, there is always the possibility of an accident."

Whatever happened to leaving the bolt up until ready to shoot? Let alone having a chambered round in camp. Lots of questions on this one.

Maybe they can blame Remington for the trigger.

Here in NZ we have very steep hilly and dense bush country that is wet and slippery. The chances of slipping and falling on a hunt are high.

Our firearms training and recommendations are to only load the rifle when in the hunting area & not in camp or when you leave a vehicle. Hunting area would be at least a few hundred meter from camp in most cases.

We are advised to ALWAYS hunt with an open bolt! It is easy when you get used to it. Close the bolt with the thumb as you mount the rifle and shoot. Few people use safeties here in NZ.

quote:

Originally posted by analog_peninsula:
Whatever happened to leaving the bolt up until ready to shoot? Let alone having a chambered round in camp. Lots of questions on this one.

If the rules of firearms safety are ignored or not followed, bad things happen.

My condolences to the lady's family.

Not enough facts known to form an opinion, but why was a cartridge in the weapon's chamber is the key question. Typically, a cartridge should be chambered only during a stalk, and then only with the weapon on safe.

I've heard quite a number of guys say
they don't believe in using a guns safety.
Soon as I hear that, I'm never going to be around them handling a gun IF I can help it.

When I was 15, three of us were in an old 1950 Ford p/up chasing coyotes across the prairie as was popular back then around these parts. I was in the middle, guy on the R had his '06 muzzle up and when we hit a bump it went off between us. Powder burns on both faces, blew out the back window and my ears have been ringing since. I'm now 73. Hell of a price to pay for some asshole's stupidity.

I've made a lot of guys mad when they get in with a rifle and muzzle up. I will not get in or ride with anyone that won't put the muzzle down. I can live a lot better with a foot blown off before I could with my head blown off. IF they refuse, I won't get in, or they won't get in my truck whichever it is. IT don't matter whether there's a shell in the chamber or not. It's against the law to have one in the chamber inside a vehicle here anyway.

George

quote:

Originally posted by crbutler:
If the rules of firearms safety are ignored or not followed, bad things happen.

My condolences to the lady's family.

Exactly!

I have banned certain shooters from using our range for this very simple reason!

One mistake, and it can cost someone his life!

Like NZ, Alaska is also rugged terrain and many Alaskan guides, myself included, do not carry a round in the chamber and will not allow our clients to either. Only on the final stalk will we chamber a round.

There is NO EXCUSE for that kind of attitude to firearm safety - 'if it's dropped hard enough it can go off'. In camp it should not have been loaded. And 'sometimes a round is chambered and the safety isn't engaged'. Ludicrous. Those sentiments would not have come from PHASA.

Very sad deal indeed. The hunter shouldn't have had a round chambered while at the lodge, and certainly not on his way out of the lodge or building on his way to hunt and (likely) to get into the hunting truck. It appears, from what little has been reported, to be negligence on the part of the hunter. By the way everything over there is investigated as murder, so be forewarned when you hunt and shoot to be sure of what you're doing and what you're shooting at.

Thanks Phil for reiterating my point

I know of people in the US who store many many guns and have a saying "if it aint loaded it is no use". I have seen loaded guns with a round in the chamber (uncocked I presume) sitting on a rack in a big steel strong room with over a 100 guns.

I know that people who drive around when hunting (like in Africa) often have a round in the chamber.

Here in NZ when rabbit shooting at night on the back of a Ute, we have loaded guns. We sometimes have 2 people with loaded guns in the truck bed. The safety rule is that you strictly stick to your side & do not shoot across unless asked to by the other person. In such a case, you are next to each other and both are shooting in the same direction.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
Like NZ, Alaska is also rugged terrain and many Alaskan guides, myself included, do not carry a round in the chamber and will not allow our clients to either. Only on the final stalk will we chamber a round.

quote:

Originally posted by Use Enough Gun:
Very sad deal indeed. The hunter shouldn't have had a round chambered while at the lodge, and certainly not on his way out of the lodge or building on his way to hunt and (likely) to get into the hunting truck. It appears, from what little has been reported, to be negligence on the part of the hunter. By the way everything over there is investigated as murder, so be forewarned when you hunt and shoot to be sure of what you're doing and what you're shooting at.

Unless you are a white farmer killed with a cutting torch over a 6-8 hour time span...by young black men.

Then it is looked at as natural causes.

quote:

Unless you are a white farmer killed with a cutting torch over a 6-8 hour time span...by young black men.

Been to Zim lately? .....

As you know...I have. But the white farmer genocide going on in RSA is not happening there.

Would not happen with a blaser. Why I have switched to blaser system.

Why was the gun loaded in camp ?

Mike

Macomber redux .. only in reverse.

I have been to both within the last month, and I was told that the white farmer deaths in S.A. have been much greater than those in Zim. Just not reported like those in Zim have been. ledvm: True that one!

Anyone know if it was clients or PHs involved? Maybe a stupid questions, sad story all around.

This is the place that David L Keith represents and has been advertising on AR in the Hunt Section.

Maybe he can shed some light...

Through my own research, it was the Head PH and his rifle (two stories 1. Rifle was resting and slid to the ground discharging, 2. PH tripped, rifle discharged) for the company and it was the cook who was shot, the wife of the bartender.

I know the PH personally, and he is not the "Head PH." Details are being kept quiet for a reason: rumors cause more damage to a terrible situation. When facts are released, I will be willing to share them. However, at this time it is in the best interest of those involved to allow the investigation to be completed.

The news report included a "stock" photo of an M-16 type military rifle, not a hunting rifle (there's the news for you) and reported the gun discharged when it fell on the floor. Sounds odd if your out hunting but again, so it may have occurred in the lodge. I would ask all to reserve their comments until all the facts are presented. Thank you, LDK