WALES TOWNSHIP (WKZO-AM) — The DNR has been gearing up for deer season, training their conservation officers to deal with medical emergencies out in the woods, everything from heart attacks to accidental shootings. They often fall out of tree stands too.
That training came in handy for DNR Conservation Officer Ken Kovach, who saved the life of a St. Clair County man who accidentally shot himself with a pistol inside his home.
. The 51-year-old victim had a 9-mm pistol strapped to his hip that fell out while he was doing laundry. The gun hit the cement and discharged, blowing a hole through his arm.
A news release from the DNR says Kovach was the first at the scene, finding the man bleeding to death on his front lawn.
Kovach is credited with taking a tourniquet from his kit and using it to stop the flow of blood from the wound. Once it was applied the victim began to improve.
The DNR says in rural communities, it’s not unusual for a conservation officer to be the first responder.
