The Daily Times

A 21-year-old Seymour man was wounded Sunday afternoon when a shotgun loaded with birdshot accidently went off.

Lifestar was summoned to fly the patient to University of Tennessee Medical Center.

Blount County Sheriff’s Office was advised of the accidental shooting at 2:07 p.m. Sunday.

Officers met the brother of the victim, Joshua Wyrick Ryan, 21, Lela Way, Seymour, at the end of Mill Stone Gap Road. The scene was near the Sevier County line.

The brother was familiar with the area and led officers one-half mile into the woods where officers found Ryan laying on his left side. His girlfriend, Shala Spurgeon, Oakview Lane, Sevierville, also 21, was sitting by his side.

Ryan was alert and talking, according to the report.

Ryan told officers his shotgun was attached to his backpack and when he picked up the bag the gun went off. The backpack strap was wound through the trigger guard, according to the report, and was still in that condition when officers reached the scene.

Rural/Metro Ambulance Service also responded to the scene to transport the patient to the air ambulance. Ambulance service personnel asked for an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV) to transport Ryan out of the woods to the waiting ambulance. There was no indication of how long it took authorities to get an ATV to the scene to move Ryan to a location suitable for a Lifestar rescue.

Lifestar landed at a pond on Mill Stone Gap Road.

The Rock Island 12 gauge pump shotgun, which had been loaded with birdshot, was returned to the family.

The report did not say in what area of the body Ryan was shot.

Ryan was undergoing treatment at press time at UT Hospital. No condition report was available at the time.

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