Bear Attack Leaves Hiker With Serious Injuries

A 45-year-old Calgary man hiking alone in was attacked by a bear late Friday morning, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) confirmed to Digital Saturday. 

The hiker, who was not identified, was in a remote part of Crowsnest Pass near Window Mountain Lake around 11:19 a.m. when the attack occurred, leaving him with extensive injuries, RCMP public information officer Cst. Cory Riggs confirmed to Digital.

RCMP at Crowsnest Pass responded after receiving an emergency SOS activation from the hiker on the Great Divide Trail after  

The man was taken to a hospital to be treated for his injuries, RCMP said in a release. 

Crowsnest Fire Rescue, Fish and Wildlife, Search and Rescue and STARS air ambulance assisted police in the man’s rescue.

“No matter what your experience level is, while exploring the wilderness, SOS devices are an essential tool for anyone who may find themselves in an emergency situation,” the release said. “It is the most reliable way to call for help after sustaining an injury in an isolated area. Always make sure that you notify others of your planned route, along with your time of departure and approximate return.”

RCMP didn’t specify what type of bear attacked the man. It was likely a grizzly or a black bear, according to the CBC. 

Two weeks earlier, a man was attacked by a female grizzly in Calgary, CBC reported. 

On Sept. 1, a by a grizzly in the Caribou-Targhee National Forest. 

The attack was “like playing tug of war with your dog, but he was playing it with my arm and ripping it apart,” hunter Riley Hill said afterward. 

Doctors estimate it will take two months for him to recover. 

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