According to the US Coast Guard, the victim was part of a group who climbed a mountain on a backcountry ski trip near Haines, Alaska. The man sustained injuries to his head and hands when he was attacked.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game said the victim accidentally woke up the brown bear in a den, a mother who likely protected her cub.
“The skier who was attacked at one point realized he had to play dead, which is probably a good idea in these kinds of circumstances,” wildlife biologist Carl Koch told CNN.
A Coast Guard MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter from Sitka Air Station has located the man and two other skiers about 16 kilometers northwest of Haines at an altitude of 1,600 feet, the Coast Guard said.
A Coast Guard rescue swimmer was lowered to evaluate the man’s condition and then used a sedan chair to hoist the man to the helicopter. He was flown to Juneau for treatment.
The man was alert at the time of the rescue, but the Coast Guard had no further information about his condition. The other two skiers were able to give him first aid and contact the Coast Guard.
“Their satellite communications device provided the precise GPS coordinates and altitude of their location,” said co-pilot Lt. Cmdr. Sirokman. “Equally important, they had a brightly colored fabric to signal the helicopter as we approached. This was absolutely critical for us to find them in time.”
The other two skiers did not need any help and, according to the coast guard, went down the mountain on their own.