Archive for the ‘bear attack’ Category

Judge awards $1.9M to family of boy killed by bear

Thursday, May 5th, 2011
On Tuesday of this week a federal judge awarded nearly $2 million to the family of Samuel Ives, an 11-year-old boy killed in 2007 by a black bear in the American Fork Canyon near Salt Lake City, Utah. The boy was dragged from his tent and mauled by a bear on the night of June 17, 2007.

Ives’s mother and stepfather contend that their son was killed due to negligence on the part of the U.S. Forest Service. The bear that killed Sam had attacked another man 12 hours prior at the same campsite where Ives and his family were staying. According to the lawsuit, Forest officials searched for the bear after its first attack, but were unable to find it. Unfortunately they failed to issue a warning to other campers staying at the same campground.

The U.S. District Judge found that both federal and state government agencies, including the Forest Service, were liable for Ives’s death. The judge found the Forest Service to be 65% at fault for failing to warn the public about the potential safety risks of camping in the area. The Division of Wildlife Resources was found to be at 25% fault for its lack of communication with the Forest Service, and the family was deemed to be 10% at fault for leaving food wrappers and trash in their tent.

What are your thoughts? Do you think the Forest Service was negligent to the tune of $2 million dollars? If these are punitive damages, who do they punish? Ultimately it is we tax payers who will be writing this check. Moreover, does this set a precedent where any accident, or anything that could potentially go wrong, become the focus of a lawsuit aimed towards national and state parks? Just as one example - does this mean that if there's snow on the ground, or if it's raining, that park rangers have a duty to warn all hikers that trails might be slippery?


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com

Posted in American Fork Canyon, Samuel Ives, Utah, bear attack | Comments Off

Hiker survives first bear attack in modern Kentucky history

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010
"Then, he really dug in deep and began shaking me kind of like a dog would do with a toy."

Tim Scott, 56, of Springfield, KY said he was hiking on the Pinch-Em Tight Trail in the Red River Gorge area of the Daniel Boone National Forest this past Sunday when a black bear attacked him without provocation.

The Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources said this was the first black bear attack on a human in modern Kentucky history.

The Red River Gorge area is closed until further notice.

State wildlife officials are setting traps in the area to capture the bear and, until they have caught it or know that it has left the area, the Red River Gorge recreation area will be closed, said U.S. Forest Service spokeswoman Kimberly Morgan.

Scott said in a telephone interview that he was standing on a ledge, his blue heeler dog with him on a retractable leash, when he realized there was something behind them. When he turned, he said, the black bear was standing on the trail.

Scott was released from a hospital Monday morning after receiving 50-60 stitches. You can read his entire encounter by clicking here.

Here's an article regarding one of the guys who helped rescue Scott from the bear.

As I've mentioned in previous postings, I spent quite a lot of time in Red River Gorge in my younger days. Back in the mid-Eighties there were always rumors of bear sightings in the Gorge, but no one really took them seriously. Within the last 5 years or so, however, the number of sightings/rumors began to take off. With this incident, I guess officials can finally confirm the existence of bears in the area.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

Posted in Pinch-Em Tight Trail, Red River Gorge, bear attack | Comments Off

Animal Planet: Story of bear attack in Cherokee N.F. to air tonight

Friday, December 4th, 2009
Many of you will probably recall the story of the Ohio woman and her two small children that were attacked by a bear in the Cherokee National Forest back in 2006.

On April 13, 2006, Susan Cenkus and her children were hiking near the Chilhowee Campground near Benton Falls when a 200-pound black bear grabbed her 2-year-old son. The mother screamed for help and then launched herself at the animal - nearly losing her life in the process.

The bear tore at her neck, tossed her aside and then grabbed her 6-year-old daughter, Elora. The little girl didn't survive the attack.

Elora's death was only the second fatal attack by a black bear in Tennessee. The other was in 2000 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Now the world will have a chance to hear the full story of how Mrs. Cenkus risked her life to save her children during the attack on the Animal Planet show "I'm Alive", which will air tonight at 9 and 11 p.m., EST.

You can read more about the attack by clicking here.




Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, hiking gear store, and more.

Posted in Animal Planet, Benton Falls, Chilhowee Campground, I'm Alive, Susan Cenkus, bear attack, cherokee national forest | Comments Off