Back to the Top News Newsfeed

Black bear kills 16-year-old boy during race in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) Authorities say a black bear killed a 16-year-old runner while he was competing in an Alaska race on Sunday.

The Alaska Dispatch News reports (http://bit.ly/2tjgDL6) that the teenager, whose identify has not been released, was a participant in the juniors division of the Robert Spurr Memorial Hill Climb race between Anchorage and Girdwood.

The race director says the runner had apparently made it to the halfway point turnaround on Bird Ridge trail and was on his way down when he texted a family member that he was being chased by a bear.

Officials from a number of agencies responded up the mountain to locate the boy.