A 17-year-old Rockland County student was mauled by a female grizzly bear (no, not that kind) while in the deep backwoods of Alaska yesterday, leaving him in the ICU along with another teenager who was attacked.
Joshua Berg, of New City, was on a 30-day wilderness survival course in the Talkeetna Mountains, about 120 north of Anchorage, when his group encountered a female bear intent upon protecting her cubs. ABC is reporting that the group, who were on day 24 of the 30-day trip, had lined up single-file to cross a river when the bear attacked.
The bear apparently went after Berg first, then several other students, before going back to Berg. After the bear fled, the teenagers, who were unsupervised, set up camp and sent out emergency signals, and it took several hours for helicopters to locate them.
Berg was listed in critical condition today, along with Samuel Gottsegen, also 17, of Denver. Gottesgen said, "I thought I was going to die when I was being attacked. I was so scared," while his mother referred to Berg, "Another boy came up and started kicking the bear, you know, to help Sam fight the bear off, and the bear then went away." Long Island teen, Sam Melman, was part of the group but was not injured.
The wilderness school's spokesman said it was the first day the students were out without adult supervision, "For the last bit of the course, we would have them travel as a student group without the instructors, utilizing the skills that they've learned over time."
