Henry Culvyhouse

hculvyhous@dmg.gannett.com

A man really stepped in it early Saturday evening when he got his lower leg caught in a bear trap in Onancock, according to the local fire chief.

Chief Adam James of the Onancock Volunteer Fire Department said the man was walking along Bayside Road in Onancock when he jumped into a ditch in order to avoid traffic.

"It's a back road so there's no shoulder," James said. "When he hopped into the ditch, he got his lower leg caught in the trap."

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An EMS unit and a fire engine were dispatched to the scene at 5:56 p.m., James said. Rescue workers were able to free the man from the trap and took him to Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital in Onancock for treatment.

The Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries has been called to investigate the incident. The National Smithsonian Institute claims black bear populations are not distributed on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, while the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fishiers have maps indicating black bears have been seen occasionally on the peninsula.

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Twitter: @hculvyhousedmv