EBS STAFF
On the afternoon of Tuesday, Sept. 16, a 29-year-old male solo hiker encountered a bear while hiking on the Turbid Lake Trail, located northeast of Mary Bay in Yellowstone Lake, 2.5 miles from the Pelican Valley Trailhead in the Pelican Valley Bear Management Area. According to a Sept. 16 press release from the National Park Service, the hiker deployed his bear spray and the bear made contact, resulting in significant but non-life-threatening injuries to the hiker’s chest and left arm.
National Park Service medics responded to the incident, hiked out with the victim, where he was transported in a park ambulance to the Lake Medical Clinic, then flown to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Turbid Lake Trail is closed until further notice and the incident remains under investigation. Because the incident was a defensive reaction by the bear during a surprise encounter, the park clarified in the press release that they will not be taking any management action against the bear. They will attempt to confirm whether it was a black or grizzly bear through DNA analysis.
This is the first incident of a bear injuring a person in the park this year.
The NPS reminds hikers to be bear aware when in and around Yellowstone, especially during the fall when they become more active and territorial ahead of hibernation. Always carry bear spray and know how to use it, watch for fresh tracks, scat and feeding sites, make noise, hike in groups, stay on trail and don’t hike at dawn, dusk, or at night, when grizzlies are most active. Never run from a bear and if you do encounter one, keep at least 100 yards away.
