GRISLY INCIDENT

Hiker Makes Life-Saving 911 Call After Being Mauled by Bear on Popular Trail

Local authorities have encouraged hikers to make sure to pack bear spray.

Authorities have launched a major search for a brown bear after it savaged a woman’s leg. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game cordoned off parts of the area around the popular Basher Trail in Alaska’s Chugach Mountains following the mauling. The Associated Press reports that Alaska state troopers received a 911 call Tuesday from the woman, who reported that she was unable to walk after being attacked by a bear some two miles along the trail before it ran off in an unknown direction. Authorities said the woman spoke with officers by phone for an hour, describing her surroundings, while they deployed drones to triangulate her location before lifting her out by helicopter. The Anchorage Fire Department said in a statement on Facebook late Tuesday that it had now “cleared the staging area up in the Stuckagain Heights area after the extraction of a bear mauling victim,” adding, “The hiker reported they could not get out on their own due to injuries sustained in the mauling.” Anchorage Police spokesperson Christopher Barraza said: “We’re advising everybody to make sure they go prepared when they go to do hikes and trails. Make sure you know what to do when you see a bear, carry your bear spray, stuff like that.”