A Virginia man has died after falling onto a bear in a tree that was shot by one of his hunting buddies, state wildlife officials said.
The bizarre accidental death occurred on Dec. 9 in Lunenburg County, between Richmond and Danville, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources said in a statement.
According to police, a hunting group was chasing the bear as it ran up a tree. As the group retreated from the tree, the hunter shot and killed the bear. The animal fell onto another hunter who was standing about 3 meters from the base of the tree.
Police identified the man as Lester C. Harvey, 58, of Phoenix, Virginia. After members of the group administered first aid, Harvey was taken to two different hospitals. He died from his injuries on Friday, wildlife officials said.
The obituary for Harvey, a married father of five and eight grandchildren, said he was a self-employed contractor and an avid outdoorsman.
Similar incidents have occurred in recent years.
In 2018, a man was seriously injured in Alaska when his hunting partner shot a bear on a ridge. The animal fell down the slope and hit the man, who was also hit by a stone thrown off by the bear.
In 2019, another man was injured when his hunting partner shot a bear in a tree in North Carolina. The bear fell out of the tree and started biting the hunter. The man and the animal then fell off a cliff. The hunter was taken to the hospital, where the bear was later found dead.
