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Hunter dies in fall from tree stand in Morgan-Monroe State Forest

A Lawrence County man died over the weekend when he fell from a tree stand while hunting in Morgan-Monroe State Forest.

MONROE COUNTY, Ind. — A Lawrence County man died over the weekend when he fell from a tree stand while hunting in Monroe County.

Conservation officers say a hunter found 57-year-old Kevin Leech of Heltonville Saturday after Leech had fallen from a tree stand in Morgan-Monroe State Forest. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Investigators say it's unclear why Leech's tree stand malfunctioned, causing him to fall. Officers said Leech wasn't wearing a full-body harness at the time of the accident.

"Conservation Officers remind everyone using elevated platforms to hunt to always wear a full body harness, use a tree stand’s safety rope, never try to put up or remove a tree stand by themself, and to always inspect their tree stand before climbing up into it," Indiana DNR wrote in a release.

An exact cause of Leech's death is pending an autopsy.

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