Man from Washington state bitten by bear in Montana national park

WEST GLACIER, Mont — A Washington state man was bitten by a bear after a "surprise encounter" in a Montana national park last week.

The National Park Service said the encounter happened on Sept. 19. A 35-year-old man from Washington was hiking on Highline Trail with a group when he surprised a bear, according to an NPS release.

The man was bitten below the knee, the NPS said. Members of the man's hiking group used bear spray to get the bear away, then used satellite communication to connect with park dispatch and managed to stem the bleeding with a first-aid kit, NPS said.

“The hiking party was walking into the wind and faced foggy conditions, which could have contributed to the encounter,” said John Waller, a supervisory wildlife biologist in the NPS release. “They were well prepared with bear spray, a satellite communication device, a first aid kit, were hiking as a group, and kept their cool when dealing with the bear.” 

The man was airlifted and eventually transported to a hospital in Whitefish, NPS said. It most likely was a male grizzly bear that bit the man, NPS said based on witness information. No action will be taken against the bear since it was a surprise encounter, NPS said.

A section of Highline Trail from Haystack Butte to Granite Park Chalet remains closed until park officials can determine the bear is no longer in the area.