A 50-year-old hiker reportedly escaped a nasty situation where he fended off bears for several hours while waiting to be rescued from a trail in Washington state's North Cascades mountain range.
The unidentified hiker, who reportedly is an active solider in the Army, was hiking along the Pacific Crest Trail on Saturday when he broke his leg and fell, the New York Daily News reported.
Armed with only a can of bear spray, the hiker said he defended himself from being attacked by the furry beasts for nearly seven hours until he was rescued by U.S. Navy officials.
Authorities from U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Air and Marine intercepted a beacon signal the hiker activated at around 5 p.m.
Rescuers flew out to where the hiker was located in a snowy ravine some 6,000 feet up Syncline Mountain. But the Black Hawk helicopter could not find a place to land and they were unable to hoist him up because the aircraft lacked the proper equipment, the Daily News reported.
Officials air dropped food, water, a medical kit and a note saying a helicopter from the Naval Air Station on Whidbey Island (NAS) was on its way.
It was pitch black when NAS crews rescued the injured man from the cold mountain at around 11 p.m. He told his rescuers that bears tried to attack him, according to the Daily News.
"He was obviously in a lot of pain. It was hard to get him comfortable in the helicopter," Navy spokesman Mike Welding told the newspaper.
In addition to a broken leg the man was treated for hypothermia and a dislocated arm. He was taken to a hospital in Bellingham, Washington, after a 30-minute helicopter ride, Welding said.
The man's identity was not immediately released. Welding told the newspaper the man is an active duty member of the Army on terminal leave before retirement.
