Teen Camp Counselor Attacked by Black Bear
A teen camp counselor miraculously survived a bear attack at a Christian summer camp in Colorado, sending waves of dread among campers.
The teen sustained puncture wounds to the head after a bear attacked him while he was sleeping.
The bear dragged him out of the tent 12 feet before he was able to free himself from the clutches of the wild animal.
After the members of the camping committees scared away the beast, the victim was transported to Boulder for medical treatment. He received staples for his wounds.
The incident took place at the Glacier View Ranch campsite.
Recalling the Scary Incident
The 19-year-old recalled the horrifying incident in an interview with CNN affiliate KMGH.
“The crunching noise, I guess, was the teeth scraping against the skull as it dug in,” the victim said.
“It grabbed me… and pulled me. Then it bit the back of my head and (dragged) me,” he told KMGH.
The teen recalled, “When it was dragging me, that was the slowest part. It felt like it went forever.”
The victim, who teaches wilderness survival at the camp, used his ability in survival to fend off the black bear attack.
Surprise Attack
The attack occurred in the wee hours when all the campers were sleeping. The spokeswoman for the park shared the teen’s ordeal with CNN.
The 19-year-old said that he thought he was dreaming as he heard a “crunching sound,” only to wake up in “immense pain” as the black bear attempted to drag him away from the Glacier View Ranch campsite, Colorado Parks & Wildlife spokeswoman Jennifer Churchill told CNN.
After the incident, it was decided the summer camp program will continue. More campers are coming for the July 9 to July 16 camping activity.
Search for the Black Bear
Churchill emphasized the need to catch the bear for the safety of the community.
“It is a dangerous bear so we can’t tolerate animals like that,” she said.
Immediately after the incident, the Colorado Department of Parks & Wildlife launched search efforts to track and remove the bear from the area.
Less than 48 hours after the attack, wildlife officers trapped and killed the bear believed to be the one that attacked the 19-year-old camp staffer.
The bear was trapped at around 4:30 a.m. Monday at Glacier View Ranch.
