A cougar attacked a group of five cyclists on a private timber trail northeast of Fall City on Saturday afternoon, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
A 60-year-old woman wounded in the attack, whose injuries were not life-threatening, was taken to Harborview Medical Center, according to the department. A Harborview spokesperson said the woman was in satisfactory condition.
The cyclists fought against the cougar as it attacked the woman, said Fish and Wildlife spokesperson Becky Elder.
“They did everything right in fending off the cougar,” Elder said.
King County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Deputy Mike Mellis said the group was able to pin the cougar beneath a bicycle until authorities arrived.
Fish and Wildlife killed one cougar at the scene, a wilderness area by Tokul Creek, and sent a hound handler to find a second cougar seen there. The cougar that was killed appeared to be a sub-adult, or teenage in unofficial human terms, Elder said. The department is waiting for a tooth sample analysis from the state biologist to confirm the cougar’s age.
Elder said cougar attacks are rare. Two fatal cougar attacks have been recorded in the state, according to the agency.
“We generally don’t see that many in Washington state,” Elder said. “They’re fairly rare on humans.”
In 2018, an emaciated cougar attacked two cyclists near North Bend, killing 32-year-old S.J. Brooks. Brooks, a leader for inclusivity in biking, and a friend, Izzy Sederbaum, were mountain biking on a dirt path northeast of Snoqualmie when they encountered the cougar, according to Fish and Wildlife. Sederbaum required surgery to treat severe lacerations and bites to the head, neck and face.
On Saturday, Fish and Wildlife officials urged people to stay away from the area of the attack near Fall City.
“So thankful obviously that the victim is receiving medical care,” Elder said. “And wishing her a speedy recovery.”
People who come across cougars in the wild are encouraged not to run, which can cause a cougar to chase. Fish and Wildlife officials say people should never turn their backs or crouch in front of a cougar, but rather face it and speak to it firmly while slowly backing away.
Humans shouldn’t approach cougars, but if a cougar is not initially scared away, Fish and Wildlife says the next step is to get more assertive: Shout, wave your arms or throw objects. If a cougar attacks, the agency advises people to fight back and stay on their feet, or use bear spray.
