A Delta man on a hunting trip in Northern B.C. was shot Tuesday morning after a fellow hunter mistook him for wildlife.
The 56-year-old man was sitting on his ATV in the Pink Mountain Recreational Area of Fort St. John at around 8:30 a.m. The other hunter, a Vancouver Island man, thought he was wildlife and fired a shot, striking him in the knee.
The man received first aid at the scene before being transferred to Pink Mountain where he was taken by ambulance to Fort St. John Hospital. He was later transferred to Grande Prairie Hospital.
He is in serious condition but the injury is not life threatening.
Police said witnesses in the area reported poor visibility at the time. The two men were with different hunting parties.
"This is a terrible accident but hopefully all hunters can learn from it," said Cpl. Jodi Shelkie of Fort St. John RCMP. "One of the commandments of firearm safety is to be sure of your target and what's beyond it. You can't stop a shot mid-air, so don't fire unless you know exactly where your shot is going and what it will strike."
The incident is still under investigation.
