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New City Teen Attacked by Bear in Alaska Leadership Course

Posted on Jul 29, 2011

A New City boy was mauled by a mother grizzly bear while participating in a outdoor leadership school near Anchorage, Alaska. The teen, 17-year old Josh Berg, was mauled severely by the bear who was with her cub at the time. Other teens were also injured in the attack.

The teens told state troopers that they were about to cross a river and were lining up. Kids standing at the back of the line were alerted to the bear by the screams of the teens in front. Berg and another teen were at the front of the line and were the ones taking the brunt of the bear's attack.

The group of participants, as well as their instructors waited several miles away for a helicopter. Berg suffered serious bite wounds. 17 year old Samuel Gottsegen of Denver, CO was also admitted to the Providence Alaska Medical Center in Anchorage for bite wounds. Both teens were listed in serious conditions at the hospital. Two other teens were injured in the attack but were released from the hospital after being treated for various bit wounds.

The leadership course was on their 24^th day when the bear attacked. The teens were not under the supervision of an instructor because the group had advanced in their survival skills by that point. The course's goal is to train youth to become outdoor leaders. After the attack, the other teens worked to provide first aid to each of the injured teens. They activated a personal locator beacon used in emergencies to alert rescue.

The teens most seriously injured were unable to be transported by helicopter and a medical aircraft with trained crew had to be brought in to get the teens to the hospital. The attack was said to have occurred around 8:30pm and rescue crews did not locate the teens until nearly 3:00am.

 

 

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