Two people suffered shooting injuries during while on hunting trips this weekend.

According to Pike County Sheriff Russell Thomas, the first accident happened near Henderson.

Thomas said while a man was loading a high-powered rifle in the back of an SUV, the hatch of the vehicle struck the butt of the gun and went off, injuring a family member who was seated inside the vehicle.

Thomas said the injured man was taken to Troy Regional Medical Center where he was airlifted to Montgomery for surgery.

“Surgery went well. They weren’t able to remove the bullet,” Thomas said. “We called to check on him and he is recovering, but he lost part of his liver.”

In a separate incident in the Tarentum community, hunters shot a couple of wild hogs.

As the sky grew darker, they were about to load the hogs into a vehicle when one hunter stepped in a hole and stumbled, accidentally shooting two other hunters with his 9-mm “snake” gun.

Thomas said the victim in that accident did not suffer life-threatening injuries.

Alabama Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division Captain Chris Lewis said both incidents could have been prevented with a little precaution.

Read tomorrow’s edition of The Messenger for gun safety tips all hunters should know from Capt. Chris Lewis.