- Deputies in West Virginia responded to a distress call from a man who claimed to have been attacked by a bear.
- The man, frantically shouting “please help me” and fearing for his life, reported that he was surrounded by other bears.
- After hours of searching, the man was found unharmed and intoxicated, explaining that he just needed assistance getting out of the woods.
The 911 call painted a dire picture: a man in West Virginia claimed to have been attacked by a bear and surrounded by more bears, fearing for his life.
However, after an intensive two-hour search involving law enforcement, search and rescue teams, and the fire department, the man was discovered unharmed and intoxicated, simply in need of assistance to leave the woods.
The incident unfolded on September 22 when dispatchers received a call from the man who claimed to be injured and stranded in the woods. The man was in a state of panic, repeatedly shouting “Please help me!” during the call and expressing his belief that a bear attack was imminent, according to a complaint filed in the Kanawha County Magistrate Court and obtained by Insider.
According to the same complaint, the man informed dispatchers that he had been walking for days, his phone was dying, and he was being stalked by bears, expecting to meet his demise.
In response to the distressing call, multiple deputy units, along with search and rescue, fire, and medical personnel, were dispatched to locate the man. Requests were also made for a helicopter search by the West Virginia State Police to aid in the alleged bear attack situation.
Throughout the conversation with dispatchers, the man continued to scream, claiming to have suffered a head injury and bleeding, while asserting that bears were tracking his every move. He also admitted to consuming alcohol.
The searching units utilized emergency lights and sirens, hoping to scare off any bears and facilitate the man’s discovery.
After two tense hours of searching, from approximately 3 a.m. to 5 a.m., the man was located.
Despite initial claims of injury, the man refused any medical treatment, apologizing for wasting their time but emphasizing his urgent need to exit the woods. He was found to be “extremely intoxicated” and displayed no visible injuries, as stated in the complaint.
Christian R. Leonhardt from Brecksville, Ohio, has been charged with falsely reporting an emergency incident. At the time of writing, Leonhardt has not responded to Insider’s request for comment.
False reporting of emergency incidents can result in significant fines or even imprisonment, depending on the jurisdiction. In West Virginia, individuals found guilty of such actions can face fines of up to $500 or a maximum of six months in the county jail.
In a separate incident in Alaska in 2021, a man attempting to climb Denali, North America’s tallest peak, was charged after falsely claiming that his companions were experiencing hypothermia, attempting to secure a helicopter rescue from the mountain. Though the false report charge was dropped, the man pleaded guilty to violating a lawful order from a government employee and received a $10,000 fine.
As more states and localities establish penalties, individuals can be fined for initiating search and rescue operations in outdoor environments, even if their actions were reckless rather than deceitful.
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