Two Killed By Bear In Alaska

A bear startled while feeding on a freshly killed moose fatally mauled a woman and her son-in-law as they hiked through a state park. The woman’s grandson escaped by climbing up a tree.

“In all probability it was a brown bear,” State Trooper Brad Brown said. “They are territorial and they like to protect their food.”

The victims were Marcela Olga Trent, 77, and Larry Waldron, 45, both of Anchorage. Art Abel, 14, Trent’s grandson and Waldron’s nephew, was behind them and hid when he heard his grandmother scream, Brown said.

Authorities at the Chugach State Park, about 20 miles south of Anchorage, said the three had hiked about three miles up a trail Saturday when the bear attacked, dragging Trent away. Waldron was killed when he ran to help. The bear then disappeared into the woods.