MASKELL, Neb. -- Authorities say a teenager accidentally shot himself Monday while trapping near Maskell.

The Dixon County Sheriff's Office said in a statement released today that at 5:56 p.m. Monday deputies responded to a 911 call in reference to an 18-year-old male who had accidentally shot himself.

A investigation revealed that Nicholas Stolpe, of Obert, Neb., was trapping by a creek when the incident occurred. As he was throwing a beaver into the back of a vehicle, his .22 caliber pistol accidentally discharged, striking him in the lower abdomen. Stolpe was taken by helicopter to Mercy Medical Center -- Sioux City. A hospital spokeswoman said today that Stolpe was hospitalized, but that his condition was not available.

The sheriff's office said Stolpe was in stable condition.