Man gets stuck in bear trap set in Onancock roadside ditch

The Onancock Volunteer Fire Department says firefighters helped a man Saturday evening whose leg was stuck in a bear trap.

At around 5:56 PM, firefighters responded to Bayside Road in Onancock to extract the man from a trap that had been placed in a ditch. Adam James of the Onancock Volunteer Fire Department says the man had been walking along the road when he hopped over a fence and into a ditch to avoid a coming car. Instead of simply avoiding traffic, the man found himself stuck.

James says firefighters were able to extract the man within two minutes. He was then transported to Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital for treatment to his leg. It is unclear how serious the injury is at this time.

According to information from the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries, black bears are not common on the Eastern Shore, though there have been occasional sightings of the species in Accomack County. There have been no reported sightings in Northampton County.