Overview
- A black bear charged a group of hikers about 2.7 miles up the Mount Si Trail on Tuesday and swiped at a teenage hiker, scratching him before he rejoined friends.
- Two teenagers were treated for injuries after the encounter and one was described as semi-ambulatory and transported to a hospital with noncritical wounds.
- King County Search and Rescue, Eastside Fire & Rescue, WDFW officers and more than 40 volunteer responders reached the area quickly and used an ATV to extract the injured hiker.
- WDFW and other agencies closed Mount Si and nearby trailheads while officers searched the area; officials reported additional hikers said a bear followed them for several miles during the same outing.
- State officials stressed that black bear attacks in Washington are rare, noted roughly 20 injury-producing encounters since 1970, and urged hikers to secure food, hike in groups, carry bear spray and follow bear-safety practices.