WASHINGTON (ABC NEWS)- Two mountain bikers in rural Washington state were attacked by a cougar on Saturday with one man being killed and another seriously injured.
The bikers were on a remote road north of North Bend, Washington, when the cougar attacked one of the riders, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office. The cougar then attacked the second rider.
The first rider managed to get back on his bike and ride to an area where he received cellphone service and call authorities, according to Seattle ABC affiliate KOMO.
The 31-year-old who managed to escape was taken to Harborview Hospital, according to the facility, where he was in satisfactory condition. The rider told authorities he was bitten on the head by the animal, according to KOMO.
The sheriff’s office said the second biker was found dead with the cougar standing over it when they arrived.
The King County Sheriff’s Office tweeted at about 4 p.m. local time that officials had tracked the cougar and it had been killed.
“Fish and Wildlife has euthanized the cougar that is believed to be responsible for killing one man and attacking another earlier today,” the sheriff’s office tweeted.
The attack, let alone a death, was exceedingly rare.
The Department of Fish and Wildlife said in a press conference this is only the second cougar attack death in Washington state in the last 100 years. There have been 15 nonfatal attacks over that period.
