Teen attacked by bear, second teen injured while fleeing

MOUNT SI, Wash. (TMX/Gray News) - One teenager was attacked by a bear and a second teen was injured while fleeing during a hike at Mount Si in Washington, according to officials.

The King County Sheriff’s Office, King County Search and Rescue and Eastside Fire and Rescue responded to a report of a bear attack on Mount Si on the afternoon of June 16. Officials said a group of young people was hiking a trail in the area when a black bear charged them.

The bear was a mother bear with nearby cubs, wildlife officials said.

The group fled, but one teen became separated from the others, who reported hearing screaming. Though that teen was attacked and injured by the bear, he managed to make it back to the group on his own.

A second teenager sustained a minor injury, twisting an ankle while fleeing, and was treated at the scene.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) personnel remained at the scene after it was cleared to search for the bear.

“As a precautionary measure and under direction from WDFW, the trail has been closed while WDFW works to locate the bear,” said Sara Autio, King County SAR PIO. “At this time, our focus is supporting the safe extraction of the two subjects and ensuring the safety of our volunteers and the public.”

Eastside Fire and Rescue said the teen who was injured by the bear was transported to an area hospital with non-critical injuries.