Hunter crushed to death after bear falls from tree and lands on him following shooting

A hunter has died after a bear that was shot out of a tree fell on top of him during a hunting expedition.

Lester C Harvey, 58, was fatally injured during the incident in Lunenburg County, Virginia, USA, on December 9 when the animal landed on him from above.

The father-of-five was rushed to hospital following the accident but died from his injuries four days later, the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources confirmed.

The tragic event occurred around 9:50pm local time when Harvey’s hunting party pursued a bear that had climbed into a tree to escape.

As the group retreated from the base of the tree, one of the hunters opened fire on the bear.

The animal plummeted onto Harvey, who was standing approximately 10 feet away from the tree.

“A member of the hunting group rendered first aid until local fire and EMS arrived on scene,” wildlife resources spokesperson Shelby Crouch said.

Harvey was initially reported to be in a serious but stable condition after being transported to hospital.

His son Josh Harvey later shared on Facebook that his father had been “injured extremely badly” while doing what he loved most alongside his good friends.

According to his obituary, Harvey was a self-employed contractor from Phoenix, Virginia.

“Lester was a friend to all and never met a stranger. He was an avid outdoorsman,” the obituary stated.

He is survived by his wife, three sons and two daughters, as well as eight grandchildren.

One of his daughters wrote on social media: “My dad was the hardest worker I know. He was either working or hunting. The ONLY time he missed work was to hunt.”

“I’m broken in ways I didn’t even know I could break,” she added.

According to Virginia’s Department of Wildlife Resources, shooting bears in trees is against state regulations.

The law specifically prohibits hunters from attempting 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.”

Despite this violation, wildlife resources spokesperson Shelby Crouch confirmed: “The department is not currently seeking any charges related to this incident.”