Thursday, December 1, 2011

Painful Lesson: Shot in the buttocks by best friend!

Excitement turned to pain after a man suddenly received a shotgun blast to the buttocks while bird hunting with several companions Sunday. Piper the yellow labrador was the trigger dog behind the blast the sent his 46-year-old hunting companion to the hospital. Somehow, caught up in the excitement of the hunt, Piper set off the shotgun that struck Brigham City native Robert Cottingham in the lower back and buttocks. Box Elder County Sherriff's Chief Deputy Kevin Potter says that Cottingham was hunting with his son and brother-in-law at the north end of the Great Salt Lake near a bird refuge sometime before noon. While the hunting crew was retrieving a wounded duck from the water, a 12-gauge shotgun was left resting inside the hunting boat they were using.

Cottingham says that the dog was in a marshy area of the lake and jumped into the boat hitting the 12-gauge in such a way that it discharged and shot him from about 6 feet. Cottingham says that some of the blast was absorbed by a duck decoy onboard and that decoy may have saved his life. A medical helicopter was called initially, but canceled after Cottingham was treated by medics at the scene. He was taken to the hospital where 27 birdshot pellets were removed from his backside, yet several pellets could not be taken out. Cottingham is expected to make a full recovery. Cottingham says that he is normally very aware when it comes to gun safety and, as a take away lesson from this, to never become complacent with a loaded weapon and of course to always use the firearm's safety.