Game Warden Talks Safety In Wake of Sooner Lake Hunting Death

An Oklahoma game warden talked about safety precautions following the death of a young man who was duck hunting at Sooner Lake.

"We are horribly saddened by this," said Game Warden Capt. Ben Bickerstaff. "We're sure thinking about (the family)."

The victim, a 24-year-old Oklahoma State University graduate student, was duck hunting at Sooner Lake Sunday morning, said Oklahoma Game Wardens. But when he went to retrieve a duck, he hit a drop-off. "His chest waders that he was wearing was overcome with water," said Bickerstaff. "He went below the surface and did not resurface."

Using side imaging, three game wardens found the hunter on the lake floor. They then helped the Oklahoma Highway Patrol recover the victim's body.

Although authorities had not released the hunter's name, friends were already sharing fond memories on Facebook. One person said the victim "was a great kid that loved the outdoors and wasn't afraid to start a conversation." "It hits home with a lot of folks," said Bickerstaff.

In light of what happened, News 9 asked Bickerstaff what duck hunters should do to stay safe. He recommended wearing a wader belt. "Which is a belt that cinches around your midsection," Bickerstaff explained. "If water does go over your waders , it will slow the effect of the water going down in your legs."

Bickerstaff also advised wearing a life jacket and using a wading stick. "If you're in unfamiliar waters, you can have a long stick to probe the water in front of you, probe the ground, make sure that there is not a drop-off in front of you," said Bickerstaff.

In addition, Bickerstaff cautioned about cold. He said several years ago, hypothermia deaths happened at Kaw Lake.