Agency says Iowa hunter injured ankle in 23-foot fall

INDIANOLA, Iowa (AP) — Authorities say a deer hunter injured an ankle while ascending to a tree stand in south-central Iowa.

The Iowa Natural Resources Department says 24-year-old Bobbie Stephens, of Indianola, fell about 23 feet into a ravine Sunday in southern Warren County.

Stephens was able to call a hunting partner for help and eventually was taken to a Des Moines hospital. The department says Stephens was not hooked into a safety harness before falling.

The department also says the tree stand straps had broken because of weather exposure.