LAWRENCE COUNTY, Tenn. (WKRN) – A Lawrence County law enforcement officer was badly injured in a hunting accident Thursday morning.

Officials said the 74-year-old constable fell from a tree stand that was around 12-18 feet tall.

Randy Tucker is a constable in the southern part of Lawrence County. At around 6 a.m. Thursday, his son called Lawrence County 911 to report that his father had fallen and the son was on his way to the remote location to render aid.

“He thinks he might have broke a leg; he says he’s spitting up blood,” Tucker’s son told dispatch.

Tucker’s son finally reached his father and handed over his phone to Randy.

“I think I am spitting a little blood up…hip’s messed up. I think I broke my wrist. I don’t know, I fell on my back” Randy told dispatch.

According to EMS officials, rescue crews used a backboard to carry the constable about 100 yards out of the woods. From there, he was taken to a landing zone, where he was flown to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. The hospital has since confirmed to News 2 Tucker is in stable condition.

“Typically it is a harder extrication for these patients, it is harder to be able to get them out of the location back to the EMS unit, luckily we had some open access ways able to take the ambulance off road,” Lawrence County Assistant EMS Director Kane Watkins said. “I am unsure at this time if he was wearing a harness, but from speaking with crews he was traversing the ladder into his tree stand and lost a grip and fell from the tree stand.”

The TWRA reminds everyone hunting this year to ensure their stand is in good condition before the season, to always wear a climbing harness, to make sure others know where you are in case of an emergency and to always have your cellphone with you.