# Be Careful Out There!



## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Fargo boy shot by dad in hunting accident
By Dave Forster, The Forum
Published Monday, October 10, 2005

A 12-year-old Fargo boy was accidentally shot Sunday while hunting pheasants with his father in southwestern Cass County, authorities said.

Philip Andrew Thelen was wounded in his face and chest when his father, Mark Thelen, fired a 12-gauge shotgun without seeing the boy, said Cass County Sheriff's Deputy Ellen Nilson.

The father had thought his son was in front of him when he turned around and fired at birds his dog had stirred from the marshland, Nilson said.

The two hunters were the only people in the area, northeast of Enderlin near the Maple River, about 60 miles from Fargo, Nilson said.

Mark Thelen tried to call 911 from his cell phone, but a poor signal wouldn't allow it, Nilson said. Instead he reached State Radio, an emergency dispatch center in Bismarck, using a number on the back of his driver's license.

The call alerted Nilson and an ambulance about 10:30 a.m., but Mark Thelen didn't want to wait for help. He drove his sport utility vehicle toward Fargo, staying on the line with State Radio while his son sat in the front passenger seat, reclining, Nilson said.

The elder Thelen turned off Interstate 29 at Exit 56 to meet Nilson's squad car, the first emergency vehicle to reach him. By then Thelen had driven about 45 miles.

The father was devastated, but he had somehow found enough composure to drive, Nilson said.

"You gotta do what you gotta do," she said.

Philip Thelen, who had been wearing an orange hunting vest during the accident, was partially responsive and having difficulty breathing, Nilson said.

The deputy kept the boy in his seat and kept his airway open while they waited for paramedics.

An ambulance arrived about three minutes later, and a helicopter landed on a county road to fly the boy to MeritCare Hospital, Nilson said.

A hospital spokeswoman said she had no information to release on the boy.

A man who answered the phone at Thelen's home about 4:45 p.m. said the family didn't wish to release Philip's condition, calling it a personal matter.

Nilson said she left the hospital when the family was meeting with a surgeon, and she didn't know the boy's medical condition.

Mark Thelen, a former finance director for the city of Fargo, is president of Sheyenne Disposal, the waste management company that until recently handled garbage in West Fargo. City commissioners decided last month to buy the company's land and transfer station building.

As of the start of this hunting season, five people had died from hunting accidents since 1985 in North Dakota, according to a Game and Fish Department official.

Readers can reach Forum reporter Dave Forster at (701) 241-5538


----------



## MossyMO (Feb 12, 2004)

That my biggest fear every year. My best wishes go out to the Thelen family.


----------



## djleye (Nov 14, 2002)

I know Mark, I cannot imagine what is going thru his head right now. My prayers go out to Mark and his son.


----------



## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I hope they make out OK, hopefully just a few scars and a hard lesson learned. I plucked hot buckshot out of myself before and it hurts, didn't get any lead poison either. If he gets to keep his eyes he will do OK, I took one of the pellets out of my eyebrow.... to close for comfort. Good luck and I wish the kid well.


----------



## Eric Hustad (Feb 25, 2002)

My wife and I sat up last night talking about this and how devastating this must be. I really can't imagine. Our prayers go out to the family that he pulls through.


----------



## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

Please convey best wishes and empathy from Illinois to him if you talk with them.

I cannot imagine how he feels right now. Please let some of my guardian angels look over the boy...


----------



## rowdie (Jan 19, 2005)

Safety, safety safety...., I pray this never happens to me or anyone I know. I'm breaking in a new 14-year old step-son this year, and rule #1 is he is never suppposed to lose sight of me nor me him! I know it would be nice to send him around and I'll go this way, but what comes natural to me isn't for him, they get confused and go the wrong way, next a pheasnat gets up flies the wrong way and the kid is is the background because he's 100yds out of position, walking too fast not hitting the cover.

Make sure of the shot before you pull the trigger!!


----------



## luveyes (Jan 22, 2005)

I work at Meritcare in the ER. People get hit more than makes the headlines. SAFETY, SAFETY, SAFETY


----------



## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Anyone heard how Marks son is doing? I am hoping for the best!!

Bob


----------



## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9656780/


----------



## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

I don't know how I missed hearing about this, that is terrible news.

I hope the boy gets through it.


----------



## Bob Kellam (Apr 8, 2004)

Thanks Buckseye!!!


----------



## always_outdoors (Dec 17, 2002)

I don't think I could ever hunt again if something like this happened to me.

Hope everything turns out OK for the young man.


----------



## Scott Schuchard (Nov 23, 2002)

This sort of thing happened to my uncle a fews years back, we were out deer hunting and he stoped to releave himself and my aunt and a friend of the family were pushing a river bank and a deer got up and they fired and then we heard a shot come from in the distance and all of a sudden he droped, he was shot in the head right above the ear and if it would have been just 2 cm over he would have been dead. The next weekend he went out and taged the biggest buck of his life. I dont know if any of yous remeber hearing about this his name is Rodney Peterson from Willow City,ND


----------



## fishhook (Aug 29, 2002)

All terrible stories. One of the biggest fears i have in life is injury or death to my children. God bless his family.


----------



## sierra03 (Jan 27, 2005)

I recently lost a close family member, and I know how a father takes it. But that was a sudden, natural occurence. This was an accident that could haunt this poor guy for a long time. My blessing to him


----------



## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

I know Rodney.... he's a lucky man.


----------



## zettler (Sep 7, 2002)

Any news on the boy?


----------



## Leo Porcello (Jul 10, 2003)

A very sad deal. Makes my heart sick. I feel for the family and pray to the Great Lord above that this boy recovers and is able to one day make happy memories in the field and erase this horrible accident. I pray no one has to go through this!!  I hope that anyone that knows this family is passing along many well wishes and all the prayers. Very sad!


----------

