In recent days, the property management company for a condominium in unincorporated Silverthrone, Colorado got a disturbing call that involved a renter reporting that a bear had broken into a condo, injuring her son – but as an investigation revealed, the actual situation wasn’t quite as described.

According to the initial call from the woman, after her son was injured, the two barricaded themselves in a room of the condo. She was able to escape, however, reportedly rushing her son to emergency care. The call then disconnected.

Summit County Sheriff’s Office deputies, along with Animal Control and the Division of Wildlife, responded to the condo. Upon arrival, the team was surprised when no signs of a bear being at the unit or in the area were discovered.

Upon this realization, deputies called the woman back, who answered the phone in a calm manner, claiming to know nothing about the bear in the unit, the subsequent trip to the emergency room, or the initial 9-1-1 call. That said, she did confirm that law enforcement had been calling her “all afternoon” in reference to “random calls to 9-1-1- centers.”

The lack of evidence related to a bear break-in coupled with the woman’s claim to know nothing about the situation resulted in authorities chalking this one up to a suspected ‘swatting call’ – a hoax phone call typically made with the goal of fooling emergency services into a large-scale response to a fabricated emergency.

Whether or not an investigation into the situation is underway was not included in the press release related to the matter. That said, it’s easy to see how law enforcement believed the initial call to be legitimate – bears can be found in much of the state and are known for their abilities to enter unsecured homes. Keep those doors and windows closed and locked!