Alaska Bear Attack: Pipeline Worker Mauled, Seriously Injured In Fight Off, Animal Dead

A contract worker for the trans-Alaska pipeline system was mauled by a black bear and seriously injured, a spokesperson for the pipeline operator said Tuesday. The incident took place Friday when the victim was running on a public road near a pump station,

Authorities said that Michael Becwar, 53, of Wasilla was attacked on a route used for recreation by employees based at the remote Interior Pump Station 5. Katie Pesznecker with Alyeska Pipeline Service Co., said that security personnel went to look for Becwar when they noticed he had been gone for about 80 minutes.

They found Becwar on the side of the road with serious injuries and he was taken by medical transport to a hospital in Fairbanks, which is about 160 air miles south. The current condition of the victim was not revealed, but authorities said that he's expected to recover.

Glenn Stout, a Fish and Game wildlife biologist, said the incident was determined to be predatory based on information from Becwar. The victim reported seeing the bear on the first leg of his run "a couple hundred yards" away and again on his return, when the bear approached him.

Becwar raised his hands, hollered at the animal and made his presence known, Stout said. When he was attacked, Becwar "fought it off, continued to fight it off for what he described for, like, 15 minutes," stabbing the bear with a pocket knife, Stout said, adding that the bear was not emaciated but was in poor condition.

Troopers, in an online dispatch, said a necropsy performed by the Department of Fish and Game confirmed an adult male black bear found dead Sunday was “very likely” the animal involved in the mauling.

Authorities said that precautions include herding bears away with vehicles and keeping garbage inside buildings and outdoor areas clean must be done. Security guards receive firearms and other training in case such incidents occur, she said.

Last month in Oregon, an elderly man and his pet dog were injured in a bear attack. The unidentified 72-year-old man and his canine were hiking on a private property near their home when they saw a black bear standing 20 feet away from them. The dog immediately started barking and ran toward the mammal. The dof was knocked down by the bear went on top of the canine. That’s when the owner tried to scare away the bear by yelling at him and waving his hands.

The bear charged toward the elderly man and knocked him to the ground. The man, however, fought back which is when the male bear left.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife said, "The man and dog, both injured, hiked approximately one mile back to his residence before being transported to receive medical care. The man suffered lacerations and punctures on his forearm as well as lacerations to his torso and head."