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A Charlotte County man died late last week after being hit by a bear in Lunenburg. The man, 58-year-old Phenix resident Lester Clayton Harvey Jr., was on a hunting trip, part of a group that had tracked and eventually treed a bear.  

According to information from the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources (DWR), once the bear ran up the tree, one member of the group then opened fire, hitting and killing the animal. As it fell out of the tree, it hit Harvey, who had been standing nearby. DWR officials said they had been notified of the incident Monday morning, Dec. 9. 

DWR officials say Harvey received first aid from members of his hunting group, which provided help until Lunenburg emergency medical services took over. Harvey was taken first to a nearby hospital, VCU South Hill. After being stabilized, he was later transported to VCU Medical Center. DWR officials confirmed that he passed away due to his injuries on Friday, Dec. 13. 

The father of five was described by his family as “a friend to all” and “an avid outdoorsman” in his obituary. He is survived by his wife, three sons, two daughters and eight grandchildren. 

A funeral service will be conducted by Pastor Mike Teixeira on Thursday, Dec. 19. That’ll take place at 2 p.m. at Mt. Carmel United Methodist Church, with burial to follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the home on Wednesday, Dec. 18 from 5 to 8 p.m. Henderson Funeral Home and Cremation Service, Brookneal is assisting the family.

One thing that DWR wanted to clear up is some misinformation going around on some social media sites about the incident. DWR officials wanted to be clear they are not seeking any charges in connection with the situation.