As if 2016 wasn’t weird enough, the release of Pokémon GO for smartphones has really taken this year to the next level.
If your weekend includes looking for #Eevee on #PokemonGO, please do so safely. No Pokemoning from behind the wheel. pic.twitter.com/Kt9CmTOKiP
— Washington State DOT (@wsdot) July 8, 2016
Official government agencies are already warning players not to play while driving (and in doing so, turned “Pokémoning” into a word), a man went viral for catching a Pidgey while his wife gave birth, and now, in a darker twist of events, an unfortunate player stumbled upon a real-life tragedy while searching for a water-type Pokémon.
Shayla Wiggins, 19, of Riverton, Wyoming, was prompted by the app to search for a Pokémon “in a natural water source.” After jumping a fence and walking along the shore, she discovered a body floating near a bridge.
It was pretty shocking. […] I didn’t know what to do at first. But I called 911 right away and they came really quickly. […] I was pretty scared and cried for a while.
The Fremont County Sheriff’s Office stated that the death appeared to be “accidental in nature and possibly that of a drowning.” They confirmed “there is no evidence at this time that would indicate foul play.” Of course, once the story broke, there was no shortage of “but did she find a Ghastly/Haunter” jokes in every comments section around.
Stay safe out there, trainers.