Thursday, January 3, 2019

Man Severely Injured in Eagle Lake Hunting Accident

A tragic hunting accident took place last week at Eagle Lake. Although no one was killed, doctors were forced to amputate part of Matt Branch's leg after it was shot by a shotgun.  WBRZ (Baton Rouge) reported:


Former LSU offensive lineman Matt Branch is fighting for his life after a bizarre hunting accident in Mississippi.

According to WWL-TV, Branch was duck hunting when his shotgun accidentally fired and struck his leg. After being transported to a nearby hospital, doctors had to amputate part of his limb.

He remains in critical condition.

The Monroe native played for the LSU Tigers from 2009-2011 as an offensive lineman.

Friends and family have created a GoFundMe page to help with medical expenses. Article.


Branch friend Micah Heckford posted more information on Facebook.

I know there have been many people wondering about the details of the hunting accident involving Matt Branch. Below is the most detailed description that I can recall from what happened.

On December 28, 2018 I was on an annual duck hunt with 4 very close friends in Eagle Lake, MS.

Matt Branch, David Joe Branch, Connor Branch, David Lamonte and myself.

We were hunting a cypress slough in the middle of a field. The game plan was to hunt spread out down the slough early, then regroup once the sun came up and hunt the remainder of the morning in one group where we could all be well hid. So far, everything had gone as planned, we had all killed a few birds early and were off to a great start on the morning. My buddy Matt Branch had walked down to where David Lamonte and myself were hunting and David Joe Branch had driven the ranger down to where we were so we could load up the decoys and gear to go set up in another area.

At approximately 9:40 AM, David Joe, David, Matt and I were all standing around the bed of the ranger and Matt had laid his gun down flat in the bed of the ranger and walked around on the passenger side to finish loading up. The dog jumped up into the bed of the ranger, getting ready to head out and stepped on the gun that had been placed into the bed, pushing the safety to fire, as well as hitting the trigger, resulting in the gun going off. The 12 gauge shotgun which contained 1 shell that was left in the chamber, fired through the side of the bed on the ranger hitting Matt in the upper inside of his left thigh approximately 2-3” from his groin.

 Matt screamed and fell to the ground. In the midst of the chaos at this point, I ran over to Matt to assess what had happened. We had no clue what the damage was at this point in time. I immediately yelled to David Joe to call 911.

As quick as possible, we picked up Matt and loaded him into the ranger. I jumped in the bed and David Joe took off driving. Our goal at this point was to get Matt to the nearest place we knew an ambulance could get to without getting stuck in the field. Being David Joe was driving and holding Matt, I was on the phone with 911 on the ride to the highway. We had about a mile or so to go through a muddy field. Once we arrived at the highway we unloaded Matt onto the ditch bank and laid him with his legs on the higher end of the ditch bank. His head and shoulders were laying in David Joes lap and I had Matt's leg up on my shoulder, holding pressure on the outside of his waders where I presumed the wound to be.

Within 5-7 minutes of us being on the ditch bank, 2 volunteer firefighter/first responders arrived with some medical supplies. We then immediately cut the waders and pants out of the way, got gauze and pressure applied directly to the wound and got an oxygen mask on Matt.

A sheriff and a game warden arrived to the scene shortly after, neither of which had any concern for the critical condition that Matt was in at this point in time. This is a whole other subject that can be discussed once we have Matt back in a completely healthy state. The ambulance arrived probably 10-15 minutes from the time the volunteer first responders got there. Once the ambulance arrived, a tourniquet was placed on Matt’s leg and we loaded him onto the stretcher and into the truck. The ambulance immediately took off to River Regional in Vicksburg, MS.

Since then, Matt has undergone multiple critical surgeries including the amputation of his left leg and re-connecting his femoral artery in his left upper leg. Matt is currently in a stable condition at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson MS. I have no words to describe what overcame us in such a critical time to be able to act and handle the situation as we did. This was a pure act of God’s hand and there is no questioning that.

I not only want to get the word out to as many people as possible for the love, prayers and support that we will need to get Matt on track to his long road of recovery, but also to remind all of my fellow hunters of the absolute seriousness of being the utmost careful when it comes to gun safety. I myself have been guilty of this so many times. Sadly, I can’t begin to tell you how many times I have left shells in my gun while moving to a different location to hunt, or even wading around moving decoys between flights. I was even fortunate enough to grow up hunting my whole life around my dad and other men that always took the time to teach us the importance of gun safety. I know we all remind ourselves every time we hunt of the basics of being safe, not pointing our guns at one another, not swinging wide on a shot etc.…, But do we really ever grasp the seriousness of just how important it is?

I would like to encourage everyone that reads this to take the time to not only double check themselves going forward, but take the time to double check everyone else you’re hunting with as well.

DO NOT be afraid to be THAT guy on EVERY hunt that reminds EVERYONE multiple times just how important safety is.

Please DO NOT let complacency get the best of you. There was 80+ years of hunting experience amongst our group the morning this happened.

“Safety isn’t always safe. Treat ALL guns like they are loaded, at ALL times.”

PLEASE DO.

Do it for me. Do it for you. Do it for your family. Do it for your fellow hunters.

There is no doubt Matt has an extremely long road to recovery ahead of him but there is nobody more confident than me that he will shake back and continue to live an amazing life and continue to impact others. If you know Matt, I know you feel the same.

I have known Matt for a very long time and I can assure you of this, he is big, he is tough, he is a fighter, and most importantly, he is no quitter. While we were laying on that ditch bank on the road side waiting for help, I told him that he was too tough to let a few BB’s hurt him, and I promise you, THAT he is.

This has been an absolutely traumatic experience for everyone involved including Matt’s friends and family. I cannot even begin to describe just how grateful we all are for the out-pour of love, support and prayers during this time.

From the deepest part of all our hearts,

Thank you so much.


21 comments:

Anonymous said...

Same exact thing happened to a friend on eagle lake 30 years ago....except there was no dog and they were high as a kite.

The fact that it was 10 degrees was the only reason my friend lived.

He’s still up in smoke to this day

Anonymous said...

Round in the Chamber is a rookie mistake. Hard to believe a dog can release the safety & pull the trigger on a shotgun at the same time. Further investigation is warrented. Could be a string of bad luck.

Anonymous said...

I could quite easily see how a dog could release a button safety and trigger at the same time

Anonymous said...

Sounds like he'd have us to believe the sheriff and game warden weren't acting like first responders?

Anonymous said...

as someone who hunts with a dog i can see this happening they get excited and all sorts of things happen. It is tragic that this happend and glad it looks like he is going to be Ok minus the limb. ALWAYS UNLOAD YOUR GUN IT TAKES ABOUT 2 SECONDS TO DO AND ABOUT 2 SECONDS TO RELOAD. BETTER SAFE THAN SORRY.

Anonymous said...

Methinks the dog story is a little fishy. Maybe Darwin was at work here.

"Here, hold my beer and watch this."

Anonymous said...

Interesting comment regarding 'sheriff and game warden'.

Anonymous said...

Four laws of gun safety:

1. Always treat a weapon as if it is loaded. This is the most important!
2. Never point your weapon at something unless you intend to shot it.
3. Always know your target and what's behind your target
4. Don't touch the trigger until you are ready to fire.

NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, leave loaded weapons laying around. As soon as you are no longer actively hunting/shooting, unload the weapon, double, triple and quadruple check this, including looking into the chamber.

Anonymous said...

With damage to the femoral artery he's very fortunate - he could have easily bled out in 5-7 minutes time. Not making excuses, but given the fact that folks with medical skills were on scene providing aid when the Warden and Deputy arrived, my guess is that they (the Warden and Deputy) were trying to stay out of the way. It sounds like the volunteer firefighters did a nice job and provided as stable a package as possible for EMS.

I'd be very surprised if both the Deputy and Warden didn't have IFAKs on board with at least one tourniquet - if they didn't offer their supplies to the other responders, that's a shame...

Anonymous said...

"Hard to believe a dog can release the safety & pull the trigger on a shotgun at the same time."

A very large percentage of pump and autoloading shotguns, the kind most often used for duck hunting, have crossbolt safeties. Normally they work right-to-left -- that is, you push them from the right side toward the left side of the gun to place the safety in the "fire" position. So if the gun was lying on its left side, as one commonly lays a right-handed gun down, all the dog has to do is step on it. Such a crossbolt safety is located approximately at the upper rear or upper front of the trigger guard. This places the safety within approximately 1/2" to 1-1/2" from the face of the trigger. A 70# hunting dog's paw, depending on breed, might be about 2-1/2" across. You do the math.

Also FWIW, those crossbolt shotgun safeties DO NOT prevent the firing of the gun. If working properly, they only prevent a trigger pull. It is possible for such guns to fire with the safety on, if the sear or some other lockwork part is jostled enough (such as in a fall or impact) or fails. If/when it fires, guess what it will hit? Just a word to the wise.

The whole mess obviously could have been avoided by adherence to Rules 1 (All guns are always loaded) and/or 2 (Never let the muzzle cover anything which you are not willing to destroy). Follow BOTH rules. Also follow Rule 3 (Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until your sights are on the target), Rule 4 (Always be sure of your target), and Rule 5 (Maintain control of or secure your weapon at all times). If you follow those, you may still have an accident, but you won't have a tragedy.

Change the Flag and Fill the Potholes said...

Safeties on the Beretta/Benelli trigger guards can easily be activated unintentionally - especially when over the shoulder with a sling. I've mostly had this happen walking around during turkey season when the gun shifts position and bumps into my vest. Not hard at all to imagine a dog's paw stepping on the safety and then a claw hitting the trigger. Going to remember this sad lesson...

Anonymous said...

Thanks for posting a detailed description of the accident. So sad someone was injured. I am amazed at the power of the shotshell. If I understand, it penetrated the truck metal structure and struck the hunter in the leg.

Anonymous said...

I can easily see how this happens. Lucky for him that all he lost was part of his leg. I will be reading this to my boys tonight as a reminder about why we unload our guns.

Anonymous said...

How is the dog?

Anonymous said...

"it penetrated the truck metal structure and struck the hunter in the leg."

It was a Polaris Ranger UTV, which has a plastic bed. Not that it matters.

Anonymous said...

I hope the injured man has the good sense to skip car wreck attorneys like Morgan and Morgan and call someone with direct experience in these matters like Tal Braddock.

Anonymous said...


Sounds like the quick action of the volunteers and prompt response of the ambulance may have saved the man's life.

These volunteers have full time jobs and give a lot of personal time to provide emergency help to those in need all without receiving a dime.

Anonymous said...

3:49 please explain the Tal Braddock reference - there has to be a story behind it!

Anonymous said...

Every hunter should carry a tourniquet and learn self aid/buddy aid. I have personally seen it save someone twice. I have carried one in my pack for years. Fortunately he didn’t bleed to death. Hope he recovers and is able to share his story. Prayers.

Anonymous said...


“It was a Polaris Ranger UTV, which has a plastic bed. Not that it matters.”

Thanks, I was visualizing a Ford Ranger truck as I was reading the account but it makes much more sense knowing it was a ATV type vehicle.

Rick Ward said...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/lifestyle/lifestyle-buzz/clumsy-dog-sends-38-ft-rv-into-texas-lake-with-the-touch-of-a-paw/ar-BBS4UxT?ocid=spartanntp


Recent Comments

Search Jackson Jambalaya

Subscribe to JJ's Youtube channel

Archives

Trollfest '09

Trollfest '07 was such a success that Jackson Jambalaya will once again host Trollfest '09. Catch this great event which will leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Othor Cain and his band, The Black Power Structure headline the night while Sonjay Poontang returns for an encore performance. Former Frank Melton bodyguard Marcus Wright makes his premier appearance at Trollfest singing "I'm a Sweet Transvestite" from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." Kamikaze will sing his new hit, “How I sold out to da Man.” Robbie Bell again performs: “Mamas, don't let your babies grow up to be Bells” and “Any friend of Ed Peters is a friend of mine”. After the show, Ms. Bell will autograph copies of her mug shot photos. In a salute to “Dancing with the Stars”, Ms. Bell and Hinds County District Attorney Robert Smith will dance the Wango Tango.

Wrestling returns, except this time it will be a Battle Royal with Othor Cain, Ben Allen, Kim Wade, Haley Fisackerly, Alan Lange, and “Big Cat” Donna Ladd all in the ring at the same time. The Battle Royal will be in a steel cage, no time limit, no referee, and the losers must leave town. Marshand Crisler will be the honorary referee (as it gives him a title without actually having to do anything).


Meet KIM Waaaaaade at the Entergy Tent. For five pesos, Kim will sell you a chance to win a deed to a crack house on Ridgeway Street stuffed in the Howard Industries pinata. Don't worry if the pinata is beaten to shreds, as Mr. Wade has Jose, Emmanuel, and Carlos, all illegal immigrants, available as replacements for the it. Upon leaving the Entergy tent, fig leaves will be available in case Entergy literally takes everything you have as part of its Trollfest ticket price adjustment charge.

Donna Ladd of The Jackson Free Press will give several classes on learning how to write. Smearing, writing without factchecking, and reporting only one side of a story will be covered. A donation to pay their taxes will be accepted and she will be signing copies of their former federal tax liens. Ms. Ladd will give a dramatic reading of her two award-winning essays (They received The Jackson Free Press "Best Of" awards.) "Why everything is always about me" and "Why I cover murders better than anyone else in Jackson".

In the spirit of helping those who are less fortunate, Trollfest '09 adopts a cause for which a portion of the proceeds and donations will be donated: Keeping Frank Melton in his home. The “Keep Frank Melton From Being Homeless” booth will sell chances for five dollars to pin the tail on the jackass. John Reeves has graciously volunteered to be the jackass for this honorable excursion into saving Frank's ass. What's an ass between two friends after all? If Mr. Reeves is unable to um, perform, Speaker Billy McCoy has also volunteered as when the word “jackass” was mentioned he immediately ran as fast as he could to sign up.


In order to help clean up the legal profession, Adam Kilgore of the Mississippi Bar will be giving away free, round-trip plane tickets to the North Pole where they keep their bar complaint forms (which are NOT available online). If you don't want to go to the North Pole, you can enjoy Brant Brantley's (of the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance) free guided tours of the quicksand field over by High Street where all complaints against judges disappear. If for some reason you are unable to control yourself, never fear; Judge Houston Patton will operate his jail where no lawyers are needed or allowed as you just sit there for minutes... hours.... months...years until he decides he is tired of you sitting in his jail. Do not think Judge Patton is a bad judge however as he plans to serve free Mad Dog 20/20 to all inmates.

Trollfest '09 is a pet-friendly event as well. Feel free to bring your dog with you and do not worry if your pet gets hungry, as employees of the Jackson Zoo will be on hand to provide some of their animals as food when it gets to be feeding time for your little loved one.

Relax at the Fox News Tent. Since there are only three blonde reporters in Jackson (being blonde is a requirement for working at Fox News), Megan and Kathryn from WAPT and Wendy from WLBT will be on loan to Fox. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both and a torn-up Obama yard sign will entitle you to free drinks served by Megan, Wendy, and Kathryn. Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required. Just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '09 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.


Note: Security provided by INS.

Trollfest '07

Jackson Jambalaya is the home of Trollfest '07. Catch this great event which promises to leave NE Jackson & Fondren in flames. Sonjay Poontang and his band headline the night with a special steel cage, no time limit "loser must leave town" bout between Alan Lange and "Big Cat"Donna Ladd following afterwards. Kamikaze will perform his new song F*** Bush, he's still a _____. Did I mention there was no referee? Dr. Heddy Matthias and Lori Gregory will face off in the undercard dueling with dangling participles and other um, devices. Robbie Bell will perform Her two latest songs: My Best Friends are in the Media and Mama's, Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be George Bell. Sid Salter of The Clarion-Ledger will host "Pin the Tail on the Trial Lawyer", sponsored by State Farm.

There will be a hugging booth where in exchange for your young son, Frank Melton will give you a loooong hug. Trollfest will have a dunking booth where Muhammed the terrorist will curse you to Allah as you try to hit a target that will drop him into a vat of pig grease. However, in the true spirit of Separate But Equal, Don Imus and someone from NE Jackson will also sit in the dunking booth for an equal amount of time. Tom Head will give a reading for two hours on why he can't figure out who the hell he is. Cliff Cargill will give lessons with his .80 caliber desert eagle, using Frank Melton photos as targets. Tackleberry will be on hand for an autograph session. KIM Waaaaaade will be passing out free titles and deeds to crackhouses formerly owned by The Wood Street Players.

If you get tired come relax at the Fox News Tent. To gain admittance to the VIP section, bring either your Republican Party ID card or a Rebel Flag. Bringing both will entitle you to free drinks.Get your tickets now. Since this is an event for trolls, no ID is required, just bring the hate. Bring the family, Trollfest '07 is for EVERYONE!!!

This is definitely a Beaver production.

Note: Security provided by INS
.