Wildlife officials say a bear did not attack a man in Lake County as the man originally claimed -- the man received his injuries from falling down while chasing the bear.

Advertisement FWC: Man fell down while chasing bear in Lake County Josh Hennessy had minor injuries Share Shares Copy Link Copy

Wildlife officials say a bear did not attack a man in Lake County as the man originally claimed -- the man received his injuries from falling down while chasing the bear.Josh Hennessy, 36, told WESH 2 News he was ambushed by the bear in the Oak Springs Mobile Home Park.Tips, tricks to deal with a bear attackHennessy said he was listening to music at the front of the house when he heard a noise in the bushes. He went to check it out because he thought it was a person and was attacked."I didn't really hear it. I more saw a shadow," he said. "(I) came around the bush, it was dark and he was there coming at me."Hennessy said he struggled with the bear before punching it to get away, but Florida Fish and Wildlife officials say that's not true."His injuries last night did not come from a bear...Mr. Hennessy saw a bear, chased it up the paved road, during the chase he fell in the road," Greg Workman, Florida Fish and Wildlife spokesman, said.Hennessy suffered minor injuries and was taken to a hospital with scrapes to his elbow, knee and hand.He told WESH 2 News on Friday morning that he doesn't want the bear to be killed when it is caught.Hennessy has not responded for any more comments since changing his story.Neighbors said they have seen the bear in the neighborhood and have never had any issues. Some said they were skeptical of Hennessy's story."It seems very minor to me," said neighbor Joe Frost. "Bears don't attack us, bears eat our trash."Neighbor Melody Beard didn't think anything of the bears in the neighborhood, either."We don't bother the bears and they don't bother us," Beard said.Three months ago, a woman was attacked by a bear in Seminole County.Susan Chalfant was injured in the face and neck in a bear attack in early December.Officials said they believe the bear was trying to protect her cubs in the Wingfield North Subdivision in Longwood.Ninety-nine percent of the conflicts reported in the last 32 years do not involve human contact, according to officials.15196336