Pukaskwa Bear Attack
A bear snacks on the side of highway 614. Photo OntarioNewsNorth.com
PUKASKWA NTLN PARK – Friday, August 5th, shortly before 9am, three hikers allegedly disembarked a boat in a small harbour at Pukaskwa National Park, to explore the park’s backcountry on foot. One of the party’s members, a 57-year-old woman, is currently hospitalized at an Algoma district hospital in Sault Ste. Marie after, a source explained to OntarioNewsNorth.com, “she was flown via helicopter from Wilson Memorial Hospital in Marathon (ON) after having been attacked by a bear”.
The Canadian Free Press has reported that “The woman suffered puncture wounds to her right side and lost a lot of blood after the bear attacked her. ” Authorities explained that Pukaskwa’s Park Rangers had been contacted and attended the scene in a rescue craft, taking the woman back to the ranger station from which she was transported via ambulance to Wilson Memorial General Hospital in Marathon.
OntarioNewsNorth.com’s source, a medical professional from a hospital in a neighbouring community who was also requesting aerial medical transport for a patient (unrelated to the incident) at the time when WMGH was preparing to have the victim transported via helicopter to a larger hospital, confirmed that the woman had, “suffered no arterial injuries” (in spite of this a helicopter was available near immediately, said the source, and arrived to retreive the woman very promptly). Arterial injuries can elevate a situation like the one being described to a much more emergent status.
The victim’s two companions were uninjured. Pukaskwa officials confirmed that the park’s “Backcountry” was now closed until further notice.
