Asher Klein

Black Bear Kills 16-Year-Old Boy During Race in Alaska

A park ranger shot the 250-pound bear in the face, but it ran away

A black bear killed a 16-year-old runner while he was competing in an Alaska race on Sunday, authorities said.

The teenager, whose identify has not been released, was a participant in the juniors division of the Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb race between Anchorage and Girdwood, the Alaska Dispatch News reports.

The runner had apparently made it to the halfway point turnaround on Bird Ridge trail and was on his way down when he texted a family member that he was being chased by a bear, the race director said.

Officials from a number of agencies responded up the mountain to locate the boy.

The boy's remains were transported from the scene and his next of kin was notified, Alaska State Troopers said in a statement released Sunday.

A park ranger shot the 250-pound bear in the face, but it ran away.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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