Dad fights off mountain lion during attack on child at Washington park
“I don’t think that kid would survive if it wasn’t for his dad jumping in,” hiker Steve Murrow told local news. “He’s a hero.”
View From Hurricane Ridge, at Olympic Park in Washington. (Photo by Wolfgang Kaehler/LightRocket via Getty Images)
A 4-year-old child was attacked by a mountain lion while walking with his family in Washington’s Olympic National Park on Sunday, according to officials with the National Park Service.
The incident occurred near the Victoria Overlook area along Hurricane Ridge on July 20. The child was reportedly bitten by a collared cougar.
Witnesses told local media that the child’s father intervened during the attack and was able to pull the animal away. “I don’t think that kid would survive if it wasn’t for his dad jumping in,” hiker Steve Murrow told KIRO 7. “He’s a hero.”
Park rangers and paramedics from Clallam County Fire District 2 responded quickly and transported the child by LifeFlight to a Level 1 trauma center in Seattle, where he was later released.
Park staff, joined by a canine tracking team, began searching for the animal shortly after the attack. Rangers located the mountain lion later that evening. The animal was euthanized the following morning to eliminate any ongoing threat to the public. There are no current dangers to park visitors, but the incident remains under investigation.
“The cougar is a very territorial animal and persists at low population densities. Though the cougar population is uncertain, there is definite evidence of their existence. Territorial scratch mounds and tracks can be found on the backcountry trails throughout the park,” the National Park Service wrote.
Mountain lion attacks on humans are rare, but Olympic National Park urges visitors to stay alert and follow safety guidelines. Tips include keeping children close, never running from a cougar, and fighting back if attacked.
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