This happened Aug 4th. Sounds like he is lucky to be alive....hate to think what a .458 would do to your back/shoulder
http://www.american-hunter.com/accident-on-safari-by-tim-herald
Bad year to be a PH in Africa! I'll be praying for a full recovery.
I know Tim Herald and have been in hunting camp with him. He's a good guy and has to be hurting emotionally over this.
Added to my prayer list for certain. I enjoy Tim's outings and most of his tv shows and he appears to be a genuine guy not that that really matters in a case like this. I know Tim will stay in touch and keep us all informed as to the fund raiser, Stu's recovery, etc.
I'm sure he's a great guy but I wouldn't want to hunt with him.
Thank God it was a solid!! My best wishes to Stu and Tim. I hope both of their wounds heal quickly!
Mike
Prayers sent to the both of them.
PHs Injured in Mozambique
The other is Stu Taylor of Kambako Safaris in Mozambique. Taylor was accidently shot by a client while hunting. Here is what we know at this time:
In Mozambique, John "Jumbo" Moore, managing director of Kambako Safaris, reports that PH Stu Taylor was accidentally shot from behind by a client while hunting on Saturday, August 4, 2012. Taylor was medevaced from Kambako's concession in the Niassa Reserve to the Milpark Clinic in Johannesburg, South Africa. He underwent surgery on Sunday, August 05, 2012. His status as of this morning was unknown. Moore declined to provide any more details on the accident until Taylor's prognosis is clear.
The year of praying. Prayers sent.
Prayers on the way for everyone.
Yeah this is a bad situation. I'm good friends with Tim and have known and hunted with him for years. Both of my African trips were with Tim. He is in a world of hurt right now.
Stu is doing well given the circumstances. Tim is of course fine physically but he is not doing well emotionally as anyone of us would be. I assure you he is one of the good guys in this sport and profession of hunting though. He is not a careless or unsafe hunter or shooter. There is something we can all learn and take from this and I know Tim would want everybody to learn from it.
As JB says, he is a good guy and humble and he is quite the sportsman not a flash in the pan guy that you see sometimes in this industry. He has a masters degree in wildlife biology as well. Not that any of that matters in this situation.
The fact that he came on the web right away and told his story should give you an indication of the kind of guy he is.
I am of course biased but please just be thinking about and praying for all those involved.
Lee
I am a professional pilot by trade, the Idea that a pilot is arrested for doing an evac flight . What bull dung. Granted if the pilot was willing and able, then it rests with him and no body else. Yea I know but there was no lights on the runway, well there is wood and guys know how to build a fire! Its a no brainer, the only thing that wold stop me from going is not enough visibility and or fuel to get to the where the hospital is. Having flown in bush conditions for most of my career, nobody ever attempted to arrest me for doing my job as I saw it. And I got lots of night and no light run ways and even more no runway at all time.
I admire your courage and tenacity....and I would feel the same way if I were the pilot or victim. But I saw things while I was in Africa that made me shake my head and wonder about some folks intelligence and sanity.
Prayers for all. Good God I cant imagine the utter chaos in a situation like this. Very lucky
An update from Tim.
"quick update from JNB. I went to see Stu today, and he is doing very well, he is tough as nails. He promised he would be back in camp in October, if not hunting, he will be tending bar! Obviously good spirits, and we have already planned to continue our lion hunt August 1 next year. He will have a tough 2-3 weeks with his shoulder, but the prognosis is very good, and we expect a great recovery. Still praying for him and appreciate any of you who do the same.
Good Hunting,
Tim Herald"
Says alot that Stu still want to hunt with Tim.
From what I have read on AR it was the absolute definition of a freak accident and was not poor gun handling or carelessness. I do believe it was a confluence of events and could have truly happened to anyone. I really hate it for all involved. I don't know Tim personally but from what I have read about him and the way he has handled this situation I would nlt hesitate to hunt with him.
I guess I'm a harsher judge. An animal starts coming towards you, you don't walk backwards. Your finger is never on the trigger until the sights or cross hair are lined up, period.
Sorry
Then you'd be the bloody soft spot in the path.. the PH didn't even have time to raise HIS rifle. Shot from the hip. Coming towards you, as in causiously walking, one thing, full out charge from 30 feet something else. He didn't say he was walking backwards, said he stepped backwards, a normal thing to do when suddenly attacked from the front. Think you'd only make that mistake , with a pissed off, wounded, brown bear in the alders, once too.
colorado,
Easy to judge harshly when you weren't there. Apparently the PH himself doesn't feel the same way.
Some firearms accidents ARE accidents, and not necessarily due to breaking any safety rules, especially when hunting dangerous game.
I'm glad, the PH doesn't feel that way and I feel very badly for the hunter. I have been charged up close at 15 feet (is that close?), by a grizzly. I understand shooting from the hip too, I hunt with my sons, so I'd rather take a chance getting mauled then chance shooting one of my kids. Once again, I apologize if I was harsh, we all make different choices and no one knows what it's like until it happens to you.
My oldest son is just finishing up 4 years in the Rangers, I told him you won't know what combat is like until you or someone you care about right next to you gets hit hard. While you're just killing them it doesn't seem all that real. I dreaded getting the call, and did during his first deployment, he lost his team lead right next to him. Still if a Ranger has an accidental discharge he's RFS'd (removed from the 75th Ranger Regiment for standards) right on the spot. I kinda think they get into tighter spots than we clients with PHs ...
I'm glad, the PH doesn't feel that way and I feel very badly for the hunter. I have been charged up close at 15 feet (is that close?), by a grizzly. I understand shooting from the hip too, I hunt with my sons, so I'd rather take a chance getting mauled then chance shooting one of my kids. Once again, I apologize if I was harsh, we all make different choices and no one knows what it's like until it happens to you.
My oldest son is just finishing up 4 years in the Rangers, I told him you won't know what combat is like until you or someone you care about right next to you gets hit hard. While you're just killing them it doesn't seem all that real. I dreaded getting the call, and did during his first deployment, he lost his team lead right next to him. Still if a Ranger has an accidental discharge he's RFS'd (removed from the 75th Ranger Regiment for standards) right on the spot. I kinda think they get into tighter spots than we clients with PHs ...
That is true Colorado. However, look at the difference in training between that young ranger in the 75th (and God bless him for his service) and even the most experienced hunter. In three decades of banging around some pretty rough neighborhoods, I concluded that no one ever new how they would react to their first combat experience until they actually lived through it. Sure, we trained them hard and developed quick reaction drills, etc, but we never really knew. And no matter how many shooting courses one attends or range time one puts in, imminent death looks different to each individual in a very personal way. I am sure your experience with a in-bound bear has reinforced your confidence enormously, but I would be careful in drawing to many generalizations from it. I found incoming 122's, minefields, machinegun fire and a leopard follow-up all very different experiences and very personal experiences.
Of one thing I am sure. Tim was totally unprepared for that encounter - no negative critique - there is no way he reasonably could have been prepared. He had the bad luck to fall and his PH had the bad luck to be in the line of fire (where, to his credit, he should have been). Based upon what his friends have said about him, I am sure Tmm will feel terribly about this accident the rest of his life. And, I suspect, young Taylor will be a tad more careful as well. I also suspect they both will be far better prepared to meet the next situation than they were this time. It is a simple matter of experience.
You're right. I hope his PH recovers and Tim does too because he must feel terrible. God forbid this ever happens to me or mine. My prayers for them both.