A skier was mauled by a bear in Alaska’s backcountry before a dramatic Coast Guard rescue over the weekend, officials said.
An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter airlifted the man out of danger after he suffered injuries to his head and hands when a bear attacked him on a mountain northwest of Haines on Saturday, the US Coast Guard said in a statement.
The man was flown to Juneau where he received medical attention. The victim remains in stable condition in Anchorage, Alaska State Troopers said
.
Two other skiers escaped the area without injuries, officials said.
The group unknowingly entered a den where a bear and its cubs had been living. The bear came out and attacked the skier in self-defense, according to state troopers.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Alaska Wildlife Troopers are investigating the incident.
