NORTH WEBSTER, Ind. (WOWO): Indiana Conservation Officers say a 49-year-old man is in the hospital after he fell out of a tree in North Webster Thursday morning. He was preparing to hunt from an elevated tree stand before falling nearly 16 feet.

The man had to be airlifted to Parkview Regional Hospital in Fort Wayne for treatment of leg and back injuries. Authorities say he was not wearing a safety harness at the time of the incident.

Falls from tree stands are the leading cause of deer hunting accidents in Indiana, so Conservation officers urge hunters to always inspect their tree stands and hunting equipment and wear a full-body fall arrest harness system.