Benjamin man dies of accidental wound

A 51-year-old Benjamin man, who was accidentally shot by his 9-year-old nephew, died Sunday morning at Mountain View Hospital.

Chad Gillman was hunting with his brother-in-law and nephew at the time of the 7:30 a.m. shooting, said sheriff's spokesman Lt. Dennis Harris. They were in a ditch early Sunday morning, waiting for geese, when the 12-gauge shotgun — which the nephew was holding — suddenly discharged. The pair were hunting on the outskirts of Benjamin, which is a small rural community about five miles southwest of Spanish Fork.

"It's just a tragic situation," Harris said. "It's just a family out for a good time, and something like this happens."

The shotgun blast struck Gillman in the stomach. He was rushed to Mountain View Hospital in Payson. At 9 a.m., doctors pronounced him dead.

Harris said it was too early to speculate on what exactly happened or what went wrong. He said the nephew had completed a hunter safety course.

Family members are beside themselves with grief, Harris said.

"You never expect something like this and when it happens, it's hard to even imagine the things this little 9-year-old and his family must be going through," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family."