25 June, 2017
The mine says in a statement that the two worked for a contractor hired to take geological samples at the underground gold mine about 90 miles southeast of Fairbanks. The bear was found at the site, guarding the body, Precosky said. She has been trained in understanding bears and, while she doesn't worry about herself, she worries for others.
Chugach State Park ranger Tom Crockett told the Alaska Dispatch that the black bear was estimated to be 250 pounds. Regardless, while these two occurrences happened within a day of each other, officials say bear attacks like these are not typical and the proper precautions should be taken when recreating in bear country. "But right now, I don't have any information about the bear".
The deceased texted his family after being attacked by the bear while taking part in the 29th annual Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb race between Anchorage and Girdwood, a report in the local Alaska Dispatch News read. "You can't predict which bear is going to be predatory".
And when one came barreling down the trail saying there had been a bear attack, that, says race director Precosky, is when the entire race crew went into crisis mode. Weddleton reported the fatality to the formal search party, who were able to have Cooper's body airlifted by helicopter off the mountain.
The company said Alaska Wildlife Troopers directed mine personnel to kill the bear, which they did.
Two Fish and Game officers and one park ranger tracked the bear into Monday afternoon.
Asked if there were cubs around this black bear, he said, "We don't know".
The boy, who was pronounced dead at the scene, was found about a mile up the trail on what Mitchell said was "really, really rugged" terrain at about 1,500 vertical feet.
Authorities are still hunting the Alaskan black bear.
"In this situation, this is a very, very rare occurrence", Marsh said.
When a black bear does attack a person, usually it's what Garshelis calls a defensive attack. Asked if there were cubs around this black bear, he said, "We don't know".
"We just want to express our honest condolences to Patrick and his friends and family".
