Authorities reported that Lester Clayton Harvey Jr., a 58-year-old hunter from Phenix, Virginia, died after the carcass of a black bear fell on him during a hunting trip. Friends who were with him immediately intervened, but his injuries were too severe. He was first rushed to VCU Health Community Memorial Hospital in South Hill and then transferred to the intensive care unit at VCU Medical Center in Richmond, but the man never recovered.
The incident occurred on Monday, Dec. 9, and Harvey died after two weeks of suffering, authorities reported. According to the obituary, the man was “an independent contractor and outdoor sports enthusiast.” He is survived by his wife, five children, and eight grandchildren.
The 58-year-old had been out with a group of friends wandering through the forests of Lunenburg County, between Richmond and Danville. After spotting a bear, the hunters began following it until the animal took refuge in a tree and one of them shot at it. Harvey was about 10 feet away from the log, but the bear carcass fell on him. “He wasn’t doing anything wrong. He was just picking up our dog,” his wife wrote in a Facebook post.
The Department of Wildlife Resources, which has reconstructed the incident without clarifying whether the man was crushed by the weight of the animal, has stated that it is illegal to “cripple, damage, or dislodge a bear from a tree with the intent to continue a hunt, chase, or for the purpose of training dogs.” However, as of yet, no charges have been filed regarding this incident, CBS WTVR reported.
