A Florida man mistook his girlfriend for a hog, shooting her (AP/Mike Groll)
A Florida couple was on a weekend camping trip that ended in an airlift to the emergency room.
Steven Egan, 52, was hunting with his girlfriend, Lisa Simmons, in the northern part of the state when he mistook her for a hog and shot her.
"He saw a hog and thought he shot it and went to look for it," Maj. Steve Clair of the Flagler County Sheriff's Office told ABC News. "He heard her and thought it was a hog and just shot."
The mistake was not actually related to her appearance. Rather, Egan had earlier shot at a hog that continued to evade him. He reportedly instructed Simmons to stay at their campsite while he pursued the evasive animal, according to the Flagler County Sheriff's Office However, Simmons ventured away from the campsite, apparently searching for oranges that had fallen from nearby trees.
When Egan heard rustling in the woods, he fired in her direction without first making visual confirmation with his intended target. Instead, Simmons was struck in the legs by a .30-caliber bullet from Egan's gun. She was airlifted to the nearby Halifax Health Medical Center where she is listed as being in serious condition.
Authorities say they aren't planning to charge Egan in the accidental shooting.
"He was very sympathetic that he'd shot his girlfriend," Maj. Clair said. "It was an accident. I think it was just a violation of one of the cardinal rules of hunting which is you never shoot what you don't see."
More popular Yahoo! News stories
• Another 'Heart Attack Grill' customer collapses while eating 'bypass burger'