To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Hunter Knocked Unconscious By Goose Falling From Sky

Hunter Knocked Unconscious By Goose Falling From Sky

According to Maryland's Department of Natural Resources, he suffered from a 'severe head injury' as a result of the incident

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A hunter was knocked unconscious after he was hit by a goose falling from the sky - yep, one that had just been shot.

51-year-old Robert Meilhammer was out with his hunting group in Easton Maryland, when they fired at the flock of Canadian geese. One of the birds then fell about 90ft from the sky, hurtling towards Meilhammer's head.

According to Maryland's Department of Natural Resources, he suffered from a 'severe head injury' as a result of the incident, which happened near the Miles River, where a group of people had apparently leased private land to hunt a flock of geese.


In a statement the government agency said that when Meilhammer came round, he was able to say who he was but was 'hazy about other details'. He was then taken away in an ambulance to Easton Airport, where he had to be airlifted to Baltimore to get treated.

He's is now thankfully said to be in a stable condition.

"These birds weigh anywhere from 10 to probably 14 pounds. They can have a wingspan of up to six feet," Maryland Natural Resources Police spokeswoman Candy Thomson told CBS.

"So, if they're 35 yards up in the air, and they're falling 60 feet and they hit you on the head, it's going to definitely cause severe damage."

MEET THE COUPLE WHO LIVE WITH THEIR PET GOOSE:

Hunters have flocked to the Eastern Shore to catch the hundreds of thousands of geese migrating back north. Thomson added that while this kind of accident is rare, it's by no means unheard of.

"It doesn't happen often, but you're a hunter, you're concentrating on what you're shooting at, and you don't see something until it's too late," she said.

Officials also said Meilhammer was lucky he wasn't hunting alone, as he was carried to the road for help by his fellow hunters.

That's got to be some of the worst luck ever - or is it karma? Either way, we're guessing Meilhammer won't be massively keen on geese after this...

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: News, US News, Hunting, Animals