Bear Attack in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park

[Wooflee90]

http://www.wbir.com/story/news/2015/...teen/28645819/

Officials in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park closed several trails and backcountry campsites after a bear encounter that left a teenager hurt.

A 16-year-old boy from Ohio was hurt Saturday night when a bear pulled him from his hammock, park officials said. It happened about 10:30 p.m. at backcountry campsite 84 in the Hazel Creek section of the park. The site is about 4.5 miles from the Fontana Lake shoreline near Hazel Creek on the North Carolina side of the park.


The teen's father drove the bear away. The two then hiked to the shore of the lake. Some campers from backcountry campsite 86 had a boat and transported the two across the lake to Cable Cove boat dock where Graham County (N.C.) Rescue EMS met them. The father and son were then airlifted to Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina around 3 a.m.


Park officials said the teenager received several injuries, including cuts to the head. He never lost consciousness and was in stable condition at last check.


Following the incident, park officials closed Hazel Creek Trail, Jenkins Ridge Trail, Bone Valley Trail, Cold Spring Gap Trail and backcountry campsites 82, 83, 84, 85, 86 and 88 until further notice.


Rangers and wildlife biologists responded to those sites to clear out other campers and evaluate bear activity in the area. They also closed Derrick Knob shelter along the Appalachian Trail until rangers can determine if recent bear activity at the shelter may involve the same bear.

"While incidents with bears are rare, we ask park visitors to take necessary precautions while hiking in bear country and comply with all backcountry closures," said park superintendent Cassius Cash in a press release. "The safety of our visitors is our number one priority."

Park officials say the father and son were on a backpacking trip in the Smokies. They say both were sleeping in hammocks about 10 feet apart and they properly stored their packs, equipment in food with aerial storage cables.

[map man]

There's already a thread about this at this link:

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...-bear-incident