While on a deer hunting trip on Sally Island in Uganik Bay on Kodiak Island on Tuesday, deer hunter, 68-year-old Sitka resident Michael Snowden was attacked by a brown bear. Snowden’s leg was severely injured in the attack.

Snowden’s hunting partner, 38-year-old Jeff Ostrin of Camas, Washington, shot the bear as it was attacking Snowden.

The attack occurred as the two men were dragging a deer that they had shot down to the beach to their boat waiting there. It was reported that they had stopped for a bite to eat when  the bear came crashing through the underbrush.

It was determined that the bear was a mother with four large cubs. After the sow was shot, one of the cubs also came on the scene and was also shot and killed.

“These hunters were extremely prepared for the environment and circumstances they found themselves in,” said Lt. j.g. Joseph Schlosser, operational unit watchstander, Coast Guard 17^th District. “The fact that there were five bears was an abnormality and this serves as a reminder that anything can happen and we need to be aware of our surroundings.”

The U.S. Coast Guard was contacted and a Jayhawk helicopter was dispatched to the scene on the west side of the island .Snowden was medevaced to the Providence Kodiak Island Hospital.

  attack, bear, Coast Guard, Kodiak, snowden, uganik