Teen dragged out of hammock by bear before dad scared it away
GRAHAM COUNTY, N.C. (WKRN) – A teenage boy is recovering after a bear reportedly pulled him out of a hammock and attacked him in North Carolina Saturday night.
According to ABC News, the 16-year-old and his father were at a campsite in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park when it happened.
A news release, obtained by ABC News, stated that the two were asleep in hammocks about 10 feet apart when the bear pulled the teen out and attacked.
He suffered lacerations to his head, along with other injuries, but stayed conscious until his father drove the bear away, according to ABC News.
The teen was taken to Mission Hospital in Asheville, North Carolina early Sunday morning and was reportedly in stable condition.
“While incidents with bears are rare, we ask park visitors to take necessary precautions while hiking in bear country and comply with all backcountry closures,” Cassius Cash, superintendent of the park, said in the news release.
The park told ABC News that the father and son had stored all their food and equipment properly.
Several trails and campsites in the area have been closed while the attack is investigated.