A bizarre hunting accident ended in the deaths of both a bear and a father in Virginia.
A group of hunters were reportedly tracking a bear in Lunenburg County, between Richmond and Danville, Virginia, on December 9 when the animal ran up into a tree to escape its pursuers. A hunter shot the bear, which fell out of the tree, crushing and killing another member of the party.
The man has been identified by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources as Lester Harvey, 58, of Phenix, Virginia. The bear fell approximately 10 feet and landed on Harvey, who was standing under the tree, according to CBS News.
A member of the hunting party provided first aid until Harvey could be transported to a nearby hospital, but he ultimately died from his injuries on Friday, according to the wildlife department.
According to his obituary, Harvey was a married father of five and had eight grandchildren. He worked as a self-employed contractor and reportedly loved the outdoors. A funeral for Harvey has been scheduled for Thursday.
“Lester was a friend to all and never met a stranger. He was an avid outdoorsman,” the obituary said.
Josh Harvey, one of his sons, said in a Facebook post that his dad was “injured extremely badly” doing what he loved the most along with his good friends. The post included photos from the hunting trip along with the dead bear and videos from his time in hospital.
Harvey and his party violated Virginia hunting laws when they shot at the fleeing bear. According to the state’s Department of Wildlife Resources, it is illegal to “cripple, harm, or dislodge a bear from a tree for the intent of continuing a hunt, chase, or for the purpose of training dogs.”
“A member of the hunting group rendered first aid until local fire and EMS arrived on scene,” wildlife department spokesperson Shelby Crouch said on Tuesday. “The department is not currently seeking any charges related to this incident.”
Despite the odd circumstances leading to Harvey’s death, it’s not unheard of for hunters to die or sustain severe injuries in the chaos of trying to kill a fleeing animal.
In Alaska in 2018, a hunter was critically injured after his hunting partner shot a bear that was standing on a ridge. The bear fell down a slope next to the ridge, dislodging rocks that tumbled down and struck the man.
A year later, another hunter in North Carolina was injured when his partner shot a bear in a tree. The bear fell out, but wasn’t dead; it defended itself and began attacking the hunter.
The man and the bear then tumbled off a cliff together. The hunter was rushed to a nearby hospital, and the bear was later found dead.
