CANADIAN FIGHTS OFF BEAR WITH BICYCLE, POCKET KNIFE

On July 29th, Colin Dowler was mountain biking on a logging road in the remote backcountry of British Columbia, when he came around a bend and saw a grizzly bear. He was about 100 feet away and considering what to do – ride away, cycle past the bear, or just stay still (* or crap his pants) when it started walking towards him. (* Crap his pants it is!) Keeping his bike between him and the bear, he gave it a firm poke with a hiking pole, which led to brief a tug-of-war. He negotiated with the bear, saying “I know this is your territory, I’m just passing through – we don’t have to do this.” Mr. Dowler said, “There was a point – I was scared the whole time – but I thought, ‘Man, it would be cool to be catching this on video.'” The grizzly began swatting at him. He threw his bike at it, but the bear lunged and bit deep into his abdomen below his ribs. It carried him about 50 feet away and began taking deep bites into his thighs. Dowler reached for a pocket knife in his pants pocket and went for the bear’s neck. There was a rush of blood and the bear let go and walked away from him, back towards where it had come from. Mr. Dowler used the knife to cut off a shirtsleeve to use as a tourniquet around his wounded leg. He got back on his bike and cycled 4.5 miles to a logging camp, where he collapsed. Workers at the camp gave him first aid and called an air ambulance, which flew him to a Vancouver hospital, where he is now recovering from the attack.
* So he never did get it on video. Sad.
* It’s always a good idea to go backcountry hiking or biking with a friend. A slower friend.
* “Hmm. What should I take with me on a MOUNTAIN BIKING trip? A HIKING POLE or a rifle? Hiking pole or rifle? (Pause) Hiking pole!”
* Geeze, dude – at least put a bayonet on the end of it.
* “The Revenant 2: Bears Still Hate Us”.
* What a fool – bears always go for the bicycle. Hasn’t he ever been to the circus?