A cyclist survived a grizzly bear attack on October 19, near Cantwell, Alaska.
According to the report from the Alaska Department of Public Safety, the man, whose name was not released, was mountain biking near the confluence of the Jack River and Nenana River. He saw a grizzly bear charging him from approximately 10-15 yards away. He estimated the bear weighed approximately 500-pounds. The rider hopped off his bike and started yelling at the bear. When the bear continued towards him, he dropped to the ground and protected his head.
The man reportedly started kicking at the bear. He was bitten below the right knee and sustained some puncture wounds. He kept kicking and the bear left the scene of the attack and headed back into the vegetation. The cyclist walked out to the highway, called his buddy, and got a ride to the hospital. He was treated for the lacerations in his leg and was released.
The lucky cyclist was carrying a gun at the time of the attack. The reports are vague but it sounds like he didn’t have time to draw the weapon. This story is definitely “very Alaskan”. There were no 911 calls or emergency response, the man simply survived a grizzly attack, hiked out to the road, and called his friend for a ride. Indeed, people seem just a little harder in Alaska.
