14 DAY TRIAL // A man has been attacked by a grizzly bear while on a hunting trip in Alaska. The hunter has survived the incident, but authorities warn about wearing tracking devices in remote areas.
John Matson, of Rhode Island, was injured near Beaver Mountain, Alaska State Troopers informed KTUU.
The mauling was reported at 9:30 p.m. on Monday, with the victim taking part in an organized tour. Matson shot at the animal, prompting it to flee and following it to a densely wooded area.
“The grizzly ran off and Matson went in search of the animal. [...] While Matson was in high brush, the grizzly attacked him. The bear was shot several more times and ran off again,” a spokesperson for the AST describes.
He got the bear to back off by shooting at it and got off with shallow injuries. The other two members of the hunting party were able to assist him and stop his bleeding.
The 11th Air Force’s Rescue Coordination Center could only reach him the next day, via helicopter.
“Initial information was vague due to the remoteness of the incident and the lack of communication available with the hunting party,” AST explains.
“Two members of a hunting party called the State Troopers via satellite phone and reported that the third person in their group had been mauled by a bear and sustained severe head injuries,” senior controller Capt. Jeremy Brewer says.
They tracked down the group at 12:23 p.m., then EMTs reached them on the ground.
“Because of the terrain and visibility, they had to drop the Guardian Angel team off in a different location, and then the team had to hike in to the hunter’s location,” Brewer clarifies.
He adds that tracking beacons are a must if you are going to perform outdoor activities in Alaska.
“It’s important to note that personal locator beacons (PLB’s) are something that every hunter, fisherman, or outdoorsman should have in Alaska,” Brewer says.