A 20-year-old Montana man was taken to a Great Falls hospital Monday after he was attacked by a bear while hiking near Augusta, according to Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton.
The victim, who lives in Vaughn, called in the attack himself at 1:25 p.m.
He was wading across Elk Creek southwest of Augusta when he surprised the bear, which was likely bedded down in the area, according to Dutton.
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The man fell into the fetal position, and the bear smacked him around and left, according to Dutton. The sheriff did not identify what kind of bear attacked the man.
The victim walked back to his car, about three miles away, then drove another roughly 25 miles to Simms, where he met his father, according to Dutton. They then drove to Benefis Hospital in Great Falls, and the victim will need surgery, Dutton said.
The Lewis and Clark County Sheriff's Office contacted Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, which is taking over the investigation and has sent three game wardens to survey the Elk Park area.
This is a developing story.
Previous MTN bear attack coverage:
