This chilling incident luckily had a (mostly) happy ending. A fourteen-year-old girl was attacked by a bear during a bike race in Alaska but was saved by her 911 phone call. The teenager, who remains unnamed as of press-time, was participating in a 24-hour long mountain bike race in Anchorage when she was mauled.
The girl was able to make a call to 911, wherein all she was able to say was the word "bear." She later underwent surgery at a local hospital. Experts say the bear was probably a sow grizzly, and some speculate it was the same bear that went after two joggers earlier thew past week.
Dispatchers called the girl back as part of regular procedure, and another biker heard the ringing and went onto the darkened trail to investigate, discovering the teenager. Another biker remained with her until help arrived, despite the knowledge of the bear attack. Although little information has been released about the teen's condition, Police Lieutenant. Paul Honeman said the girl was in a fight for her life.
Grizzly pic by Ber'Zophus.
1. Sad story, but totally preventable.
Why are people so surprised and outraged when someone is attacked by a wild animal while "trespassing" into their habitat? Why are humans so arrogant to think they have the right to go anywhere and do anything they choose without worrying ramifications?
Guess what? Bears and wildcats live in the woods and forests. Sharks, stingrays, jellyfish, etc. live in the ocean. If a person chooses to go into their "home", they are taking a risk. I'm a bit tired of hearing people whine about wild animal attacks.
Posted at 5:22PM on Jun 30th 2008 by ame s