A 16-year-old boy in Alaska is dead after a bear attacked him in the woods while he was running in a trail race on Sunday.
The victim, identified as Patrick Cooper of Anchorage, texted a member of his family watching the mountain race around 12:30 p.m. telling that he was being chased by a bear, according to police.
Then the bear apparently caught up with the teen in the heavily wooded area in Bird Ridge, Alaska and mauled him to death.
One of the victim’s brother alerted the police after receiving the text message and a rescue effort was launched with the help of some of the race runners. They found the body with the bear guarding it.
A park ranger fired a shot at the bear and the animal ran away.
The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, and the body was airlifted out of the area.
credit: Fox News
