1 dead, 1 injured in cougar attack

[Siestita]

This is a more detailed news story than some initial reporting about the incident: https://apnews.com/9a47c3db8a2a4575a...ked,-killing-1

This was the first human fatality caused by a cougar in Washington State in 94 years, even though that State is believed to have a current cougar population of about 2,000.

[gpburdelljr]

I don't normally make these kind of comments because I wasn't there and don't know all the facts of the incident, but why in the heck did the one guy take off and ride 2 miles away and then call for help? I can't say that I'd be a hero in that situation either, but if my buddy was being attacked I'd at least have grabbed the nearest big stick and put up a fight.

From the article link in post#1:



“He jumped the first victim and attacked him,” said Abbott. “The second victim turned and started to run away. The cougar saw that and went after the second victim. The first victim saw his friend being pulled by the cougar. He got on his bike and started to bike away.”
Abbott said the man rode for about 2 miles before being able to get cellphone coverage and call 911.”

“The injured man, 31, was attacked first before the cougar turned on his friend. He initially was listed in serious condition at Harborview Medical Center, but by late Saturday afternoon was upgraded to satisfactory. The names of the two men were not released Saturday.”

[Runner2017]

To mount one can of bear spray on your bicycle is all the precautions you ever need.

[devoidapop]

News reports this morning that the cougar was emancipated. Only weighed around 100 lbs, normal weight is 150lbs.

See what happens when you break up traditional families? This country is going to hell in a handbasket

[rocketsocks]

See what happens when you break up traditional families? This country is going to hell in a handbasket

this made me chuckle

[Berserker]

From the article link in post#1:



“He jumped the first victim and attacked him,” said Abbott. “The second victim turned and started to run away. The cougar saw that and went after the second victim. The first victim saw his friend being pulled by the cougar. He got on his bike and started to bike away.”
Abbott said the man rode for about 2 miles before being able to get cellphone coverage and call 911.”

“The injured man, 31, was attacked first before the cougar turned on his friend. He initially was listed in serious condition at Harborview Medical Center, but by late Saturday afternoon was upgraded to satisfactory. The names of the two men were not released Saturday.”

Yeah, I read the article, so what's your point? I understand the guy that rode 2 miles was the first guy attacked and is in serious condition, but he was able to ride 2 miles to call 911. Surely if he could do that he could have tried to defend himself and save his buddy. Again, I don't know all the details because I wasn't there so perhaps circumstances were such that he couldn't help, or maybe he thought he could get a cell signal sooner and didn't realize he rode 2 miles, etc.

My main point was he and his buddy were attacked, so the first priority should have been to fight the dang thing if at all possible.

[Feral Bill]

this made me chuckle

Not easy to chuckle at this topic. But there it is.

[gpburdelljr]

Here is a quote from a National Geographic article.

“....One of them, 31-year-old Isaac Sederbaum, survived—but only after wrestling his head free from the cat’s mouth. The other cyclist, 32-year-old S.J. Brooks, wasn’t so lucky; after turning away from Sederbaum, the cat pounced on, killed, and dragged Brooks into the woods.Sederbaum, seriously injured and seeing that there was nothing he could do for his friend, rode two miles to an area with cell service and called for help.....”

[TexasBob]

Yeah, I read the article, so what's your point? I understand the guy that rode 2 miles was the first guy attacked and is in serious condition, but he was able to ride 2 miles to call 911. Surely if he could do that he could have tried to defend himself and save his buddy. Again, I don't know all the details because I wasn't there so perhaps circumstances were such that he couldn't help, or maybe he thought he could get a cell signal sooner and didn't realize he rode 2 miles, etc. My main point was he and his buddy were attacked, so the first priority should have been to fight the dang thing if at all possible.

"As they stood trying to catch their breath, the cougar returned, biting one of them on the head and shaking him, Capt. Alan Myers of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police said Sunday.
The second cyclist ran, and the animal dropped the first victim and pounced on him, killing him and dragging him back to what appeared to be its den."

If a cougar bites you on the head, shakes you and only lets you go to attack your friend, do you realistically think you are going to able to stop the attack and save your friend? We all like to think we would try to do something to help our buddy but in this situation it would be a futile effort. I think the news would be reporting two dead cyclists instead of one if you tried that tactic.

[Berserker]

"As they stood trying to catch their breath, the cougar returned, biting one of them on the head and shaking him, Capt. Alan Myers of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police said Sunday.
The second cyclist ran, and the animal dropped the first victim and pounced on him, killing him and dragging him back to what appeared to be its den."

If a cougar bites you on the head, shakes you and only lets you go to attack your friend, do you realistically think you are going to able to stop the attack and save your friend? We all like to think we would try to do something to help our buddy but in this situation it would be a futile effort. I think the news would be reporting two dead cyclists instead of one if you tried that tactic.

To be perfectly honest, I don't know what I'd do in that situation. So I get your point. I guess my gut feeling is that if an animal is attacking me I'd probably fight back just because running seems like a good way to get chased down and expose my backside. Plus seeing my buddy getting attacked would put me into a rage...that's just how I'm wired.

At any rate, I don't know the circumstances, and my comments were purely based on the documented evidence that it appears no fight was attempted. 2 people against a 100 lb animal seems like an advantage, but then what the heck do I know...I've never seen, much less fought a cougar.

Oh yeah, and I want to go ahead and go on record that I mean no disrespect to the deceased and the survivor. As I stated in my first post in this thread, this is why I usually keep my yapper shut on these topics. What gets documented and what actually happened are probably not consistent with one another.

[grubbster]

I have had a 10 lb house cat tear me a new one so I cannot imaging trying to fight a motivated one 10 times the size.

[kickerofelves]

I guess my gut feeling is that if an animal is attacking me I'd probably fight back just because running seems like a good way to get chased down and expose my backside. Plus seeing my buddy getting attacked would put me into a rage...that's just how I'm wired.

A legend in your own mind.

[Southeast]

People on the internet:
I would assess the situation while simultaneously grabbing a weapon based on my knowledge of the animals profile of weaknesses. After calculating the appropriate trajectory, I would strike with just the right amount of force to cause the cougar to re-evaluate attacking humans. While finishing up my spinning attack, I would donate to the cougar fund on my phone.

Reality:
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMFG

On a serious note, my heart goes out to the family.

[Sarcasm the elf]

I have had a 10 lb house cat tear me a new one so I cannot imaging trying to fight a motivated one 10 times the size.

I’m with you, having given a 20lb cat a bath on more than one occasion I have no delusions about what would happen if I found myself on the business end of a large wildcat.

People on the internet:
I would assess the situation while simultaneously grabbing a weapon based on my knowledge of the animals profile of weaknesses. After calculating the appropriate trajectory, I would strike with just the right amount of force to cause the cougar to re-evaluate attacking humans. While finishing up my spinning attack, I would donate to the cougar fund on my phone.

Reality:
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMFG

On a serious note, my heart goes out to the family.

Bingo...

[TexasBob]

To be perfectly honest, I don't know what I'd do in that situation. So I get your point. I guess my gut feeling is that if an animal is attacking me I'd probably fight back just because running seems like a good way to get chased down and expose my backside. Plus seeing my buddy getting attacked would put me into a rage...that's just how I'm wired.

At any rate, I don't know the circumstances, and my comments were purely based on the documented evidence that it appears no fight was attempted. 2 people against a 100 lb animal seems like an advantage, but then what the heck do I know...I've never seen, much less fought a cougar.

Oh yeah, and I want to go ahead and go on record that I mean no disrespect to the deceased and the survivor. As I stated in my first post in this thread, this is why I usually keep my yapper shut on these topics. What gets documented and what actually happened are probably not consistent with one another.

I don't think any of us know what we would do and I am not trying to bust your chops. I was just thinking about a 100 lb cat sinking those sharp claws into to me and then biting me on the head and giving me a good shake before spitting me out. I have been attacked by a big dog who wasn't trying to kill me and there wasn't much I could about it so it is hard to imagine how I could stop a cougar who was trying to kill me.

[Berserker]

I don't think any of us know what we would do and I am not trying to bust your chops. I was just thinking about a 100 lb cat sinking those sharp claws into to me and then biting me on the head and giving me a good shake before spitting me out. I have been attacked by a big dog who wasn't trying to kill me and there wasn't much I could about it so it is hard to imagine how I could stop a cougar who was trying to kill me.

No offense taken, you just called me out on some comments that could have been misconstrued. It's kinda funny because just this morning my 40lb dog got a little excited and ran "through" me planting a paw (with rounded nails, not sharp ones) on top of my bare foot as she made a 90 degree cut sideways. This left several cuts in my foot. It puts things into perspective as to how fast an animal can move, and how slowly one may react.

[rockyiss]

First put a house cat on a screen when you bath them and the claws will hang on the screen not you ! Second , I was in a sports store the other day and saw they had small little personal cans of pepper spray , just think if those guys would have had some the outcome probably would have been different. Two scared bikers alive and one cat with smarting eyes and a new healthy respect for humans ! I just don't understand why people can't be bothered to carry it . I have never had a flat tire but have always had a spare in my car just in case. One time I ran into a big cat on the back of the mountain and I thank God I was in my rino riding doing trail cleanup and not on foot. That scared me more than any bear I have seen in the woods !! I pray this young man and the family's can find some peace.

[chrisj1567]

I don't normally make these kind of comments because I wasn't there and don't know all the facts of the incident, but why in the heck did the one guy take off and ride 2 miles away and then call for help? I can't say that I'd be a hero in that situation either, but if my buddy was being attacked I'd at least have grabbed the nearest big stick and put up a fight.

I ride quite a bit and I live in florida where there is little chance of an encounter with anything except a boar. I carry bear spray on my hydration pack def dont notice the weight and will probably never use but its there. Lets assume i dont have the spray, if i was riding with a buddy and i was attacked and then it went after my freind I dont know how I would react but I hope to god I wouldnt leave. Not to say he was wrong I wasnt there but two against a 100 pound cougar it would lose no exception and Im 52. Im with you berserker... you fight

[devoidapop]

2 surprised humans against a hungry, wild animal, that's not going to end well no matter how tough you are. Could you and a buddy fight off a 100lb Olympic boxer? Nope. Add claws and teeth, you're just hoping the cat mistook you for a deer and leaves you wounded.

[rocketsocks]

2 surprised humans against a hungry, wild animal, that's not going to end well no matter how tough you are. Could you and a buddy fight off a 100lb Olympic boxer? Nope. Add claws and teeth, you're just hoping the cat mistook you for a deer and leaves you wounded.

exactly!........