Man shot in hunting accident in Steuben County

Indiana Conservation Officers are investigating a hunting accident that happened Saturday afternoon in Hudson, in southwestern Steuben County.

According to their investigation, eleven family members went out deer hunting on 50 acres of woods to deer hunt.

Eight of the hunters were on the perimeter of the field and three walked through the wooded area to flush out the deer.

Three deer ran towards the middle of the field in front of two of the hunters standing next to each other. They both shot at the deer, according to officers.

Nathan Whetzel, 34, was standing on the opposite side of the field as the shooters with his 12-year old son. Whetzel was hit in the face with a slug and collapsed.

Conservation officers said Whetzel was not in view of the two people who fired shots because of rolling hills in the field. All hunters were wearing high visibility hunter's orange.

Whetzel was flown to Parkview Regional Medical Center by Samaritan Helicopter.

The slug was surgically removed from just below Whetzel's cheekbone. He is in serious but stable condition.

Officers will be examining the slug to determine which shooter fired the shot the struck Whetzel.