U.S. Coast Guard rescues guides mauled by bear in Alaska

Two guides in Alaska who were mauled by a brown bear were airlifted Thursday and taken to a Juneau hospital. Image: U.S. Coast Guard video

JUNEAU, Alaska, Aug. 19 (UPI) — The U.S. Coast Guard has released a video of the medical evacuation of two guides in Alaska’s Sitkoh Creek Trail after a brown bear mauled the pair on Thursday.

The U.S. Coast Guard crew aboard an MH-60 Jayhawk transported the man and woman — both wilderness guides who sustained multiple injuries and several lacerations — to a local hospital in Sitka, about 30 miles from the location of the bear attack.

The pair were leading a group of 20 people on an expedition. The cruise vessel Wilderness Explorer notified authorities about the incident.

“This case is a reminder of the constant dangers of the Alaska wilderness,” U.S. Coast Guard official in the Juneau sector Scott Giard said in a statement. “The close coordination with the Wilderness Explorer and our dedication to training in harsh environments allowed our crew to quickly medically evacuate the two to safety.”

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