Hiker, 19, dies after bear attacks her in Romania: Officials
Victim was on phone with emergency services during animal attack
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A teenager was desperately seeking help from emergency services when she was attacked and killed by a rabid bear that threw her down a 400-foot cliff in Romania, authorities believe.
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The 19-year-old hiker, identified as Maria Diana, was in the Bucegi mountains in central Romania, near the city of Brasov, when she was savaged by the bear in front of her terrified partner, the U.K.’s Daily Mail reported.
The victim’s boyfriend said the bear grabbed the woman’s leg before hauling her off the path and throwing her down the cliff.
Officials said she was able to call emergency services while being chased.
Dan Banu, head of the local mountain rescue service, told media: “She was terrified … you can tell, she was screaming: ‘The bear is getting closer and closer!’
“It was all happening live, the (emergency) dispatcher was on the phone and (her partner) was shouting that they were being attacked by the bear and that he had taken the girl. It was terrible,” Banu added.
“He told us that the bear grabbed the girl by the leg and at one point he didn’t see what he did to her.”
When rescuers arrived, the bear was circling the body. The “aggressive” predator tried to attack them and was shot dead,” the Daily Mail reported.
The victim’s boyfriend, whose identity has not been revealed, saw the attack but was physically unharmed.
He told Stirile Pro TV that he and his girlfriend were climbing towards the Spumoasa waterfall when the bear appeared on a path.
“It was unexpected. I tried to scare the bear, but the misfortune happened. I’d rather it had been me.”
Local media have regularly reported bear attacks on people and livestock. In most cases, people have been injured rather than killed.
The Romanian government reported in March that 26 people have been killed by bears in the country during the last 20 years.
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