BOISE -- Investigators in Idaho County say improper loading of a shotgun shell may have caused a hunting accident that injured a Bellevue man.
Forty-six-year-old Shawn Crea had been bird hunting on Christmas Day with some friends northwest of Cottonwood when he fired his shotgun - which exploded, severely injuring his left hand.
Nearby hunters heard Crea's cries for help, and called 911.
An ambulance took him to St. Mary's Hospital in Cottonwood.
He was later taken to Lewiston, then transferred to Spokane.
