Paralyzed after falling from tree, hunter and dad-to-be opts to end his life

INDIANA – It’s a grim topic: What would you want if you were on life support after a life-altering accident? Would you want to live in a wheelchair, or would you want to die?

An Indiana deer hunter and father-to-be who was left paralyzed after falling from a tree chose the latter, state authorities said Wednesday.

Timothy E. Bowers, 32, of Decatur was hunting Saturday afternoon when he fell about 16 feet to the ground from a tree stand, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources said.

Bowers suffered a spine injury and paralysis, authorities said.

On Sunday, he chose “to remove himself from life support systems,” the department said in a statement. He died that evening.

Bowers was a newlywed; he married Abbey Logan on August 3.