A Pennsylvania man is fortunate to be alive after stumbling upon a black bear that bought into his storage and attacked him.
John Swartz, 60, was getting ready to arrange a kiddie pool for his granddaughter at his dwelling in Danville final week when the bear attacked him, viciously biting him on the top, Fox affiliate WOLF-TV reported.
Swartz had entered his storage to show off a hose he was utilizing to fill the pool, not realizing {that a} bear had discovered its method into the storage by means of an open door.
Swartz informed ABC affiliate WNEP-TV that he was reaching down to show off the water and as quickly as he “touched the spigot, I got pummeled.”
Swartz and his spouse, Lori, captured the horrifying second through a safety digital camera. The pair shared the footage of the Thursday night time assault that they are saying they may “always remember” on Facebook.
In one clip, the black bear could be seen making its method into the storage moments earlier than Swartz enters. Swartz is then proven being flung throughout the room after the pair tussled out of the view of the digital camera. Next he’s seen sprinting again into his dwelling whereas holding his head.
“It was something huge,” he informed WNEP of the bear. “It hurt, and it was loud, like a growl. I got hit against the shelves, and I remember holding my head.”
Swartz informed WOLF-TV that he knew he had accidents when he noticed blood coming down his head.
The bear, which seemed to be unhurt, walked away towards a close-by property.
Pennsylvania State Police responded to his spouse’s 911 name, in accordance with WOLF-TV. Swartz was taken to a medical middle, acquired stitches and remedy for his wounds after which was despatched dwelling.
It was solely till after the assault, when Swartz replayed the footage, he stated, that he realized the bear had hit him once more whereas he was making an attempt to run away.
“After we retrieved the video, I find out that me and the bear met again. I fell over the bear. Of course, I got a good scuff on my elbow,” he informed WNEP.
State police have since arrange a lure full of doughnuts close to the positioning of the assault to attempt to seize the roaming bear.
“It was horrible,” Lori Swartz informed WNEP of her husband’s assault, “but we’re lucky that it’s all that happened. He has a couple of wounds, but they’ll heal.”
John Swartz informed the NorthcentralPA news site that he plans to be “a little cautious of my surroundings from now on.”
He stated he doesn’t need the bear to be euthanized, telling WOLF-TV: “It’s very understandable as to why it did what it did. I surprised it and it surprised me. It had one way out, and it was through me.”
State police didn’t instantly reply to HuffPost’s request for remark.
There are about 18,000 black bears within the state, in accordance with the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
Black bears are sometimes innocent to people. Most assaults are a defensive response to a person who comes too shut, in accordance with the North American Bear Center.
