Photo: Getty Images
A 39-year-old hunter from Alaska is lucky to be alive after he was mauled by a grizzly bear. Jason Long was hunting by himself in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve when he got too close to a mother bear and her cubs.
Long was in a drainage ditch near the Chisana River when the female bear attacked him. He managed to fight off the bear and press the SOS button on his satellite inReach device.
Park officials said that a 210th Rescue Squadron HH-60 Pave Hawk II was already on a mission nearby and was diverted to Long's location. A pararescue team was dropped off, and they treated the man's injuries and prepared him for transport while the helicopter left to refuel.
Long was airlifted to a medical center, where he is in stable condition with undisclosed injuries.
Authorities said there are no plans to trap and relocate the bear because the attack was defensive in nature.
"Due to the apparent defensive nature of this attack, there are no plans to locate the bear involved. Female bears with cubs are naturally defensive of their young, especially when surprised. There is no indication that this bear is unusually dangerous," the National Parks Service said in a news release.