ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — The father of one of the teens attacked by a grizzly in the remote Alaska wilderness says the animal pounced so furiously that no one had time to pull out their bear deterrent spray and defend themselves.
Jon Gottsegen of Denver says the group startled the bear Saturday night as they came around a curve.
His 17-year-old son, Samuel Gottsegen, was among four teens injured in the mauling in the Talkeetna Mountains north of Anchorage.
The bear was with her cub when she attacked the group of seven teenagers as they lined up single file for a river crossing. The teens were rescued early Sunday.
The teens were participating in a 30-day backcountry course conducted by the National Outdoor Leadership School.
