2 teens injured in bear encounter near Seattle
Two teenagers were injured during a bear encounter on Mount Si in Washington state on Tuesday, including one hiker who was attacked by the animal, authorities said.
The King County Sheriff's Office said a group of young people was hiking on a Mount Si trail, east of Seattle, when they encountered a bear that charged at them.
One teen became separated from the group, and his friends later reported hearing a "lot of screaming."
The sheriff's office said the teen was attacked and injured by the bear but was able to make his way back to his friends.
A second teen was injured after falling and twisting an ankle while fleeing the area, authorities said.
Deputies worked with King County Search & Rescue to bring the bear attack victim down the mountain on an ATV. The sheriff's office described the victim as "semi-ambulatory."
Mount Si trails were closed Tuesday afternoon as emergency crews responded to the incident and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife searched for the bear.
"EF&R, @kingcosoPIO, and @WDFW have Mt. Si trails closed due to bear activity. At this time we have two people injured from the encounter with the bear. Crews are working to bring both patients off the trail while @WDFW works to locate the bear," the agency said in a post on its official account on X.
The sheriff's office said bears are commonly seen in the area, but attacks are rare, particularly involving a large group of hikers.
Video from local ABC affiliate station KOMO-TV showed one of the injured hikers being escorted off the mountain as emergency crews responded.
In an update later Tuesday, Eastside Fire & Rescue said via a post on X that crews had cleared the scene while Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife officers remained in the area.
The agency added that two teenage patients were treated for injuries and that one was transported to a hospital with noncritical injuries related to the bear encounter.
Authorities have not released additional information about the bear or the extent of the victims' injuries. The investigation remains ongoing.
