Oh, bats! A night flier caused commotion for family at Ocean Lakes campground, suit says
A mother and two minor daughters have filed a lawsuit against Ocean Lakes Campground and the owner of a vacation home after they woke up to a bat flying around inside.
Lisa Saddler and her daughters, all of Lincoln County, West Virginia, were renting a vacation home owned by Charles Fleck at the Surfside area campground in September 2016 when they woke up about 1:30 a.m. to a bat flying inside the bedroom, according to a lawsuit.
The plaintiffs claim they called a security guard, who removed the animal and negligently released the bat without testing it for rabies. Days later, Saddler and her daughters sought medical care, including four rounds of rabies prevention and exposure shots, which caused them to experience “extreme sickness throughout their treatment,” the suit states.
The lawsuit lists advice from public agencies regarding contact with bats, including a S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control tip that states: “If a bat is found where people are sleeping, one must always assume the sleeper was bit.”
Ocean Lakes and Fleck, the lawsuit states, breached the duty of care to Saddler and her daughters by failing to safely maintain the property. As a direct result of the negligence, the suit states the plaintiffs suffered physical harm and mental anguish.
Barb Krumm, Ocean Lakes marketing director, said Ocean Lakes Campground has not been served a lawsuit.
The Sun News has reached out to Fleck for comment.
This story was originally published May 6, 2019 at 11:54 AM.
