The body of a man found in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park died from an accidental overdose of methamphetamine and not in a bear attack, according to autopsy results released Monday.
William Lee Hill Jr., 30, was found near a trail in the park last September and authorities first thought a bear found scavenging Hill's body had killed him, according to WBIR-TV.
Investigators trapped and euthanized the bear, without knowing for sure how Hill died. They said that without knowing exactly how he died, they were worried about public safety.
The autopsy report from the Knox County Regional Forensic Center revealed Hill died from "accidental methamphetamine intoxication," WATE-TV reported.
Hill had gone to the park with a friend to search for ginseng, but the pair had become separated, authorities said.
When Hill's body was found, searchers found syringes and drug paraphernalia nearby, according to WBIR.
Some 1,500 bears live in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
"Very few bears exhibit aggressive behavior towards humans," park officials said Monday, WATE reported.
"Wildlife biologists and park rangers work hard to prevent bears from becoming food-conditioned or habituated to high-use areas. Out of an abundance of caution for the park's 11 million park visitors, park staff implement aversive-conditioning techniques and, on rare occasions, euthanize individual bears that pose a threat to visitor safety."
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