Mother Killed While Saving Son From Cougar

Wed., Aug. 21, 1996

Associated Press

A woman who used a stick to fend off a cougar mauling her 6-year-old son during a family horseback outing was herself killed by the cougar on Monday.

The boy fell off the horse after the cougar ran at them and tore off the boy’s shoe and sock, police said.

“The horse spooked and the boy fell off, landing on the ground,” said Kelowna Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Paul Jollymore. “The cougar then attacked the child.”

The mother, Cindy Parolin, 36, of Princeton, 125 miles east of Vancouver, got off her horse and began hitting the cougar with a stick, police said.

At her urging, a 13-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter hauled their injured brother 1-1/2 miles away and sought help from people camping.

Constable Mark Whitworth said one of the campers, Jim Manion of Princeton, told police he heard cries for help from the badly mauled woman. He saw the cougar still crouched over her and fired a shot in the air.

“His gun jammed at the same time and the cougar began to approach him,” said Whitworth.

Manion threw rocks at the cougar and freed his dog to attack, giving him time to clear his shotgun and shoot the animal.

The wounded animal was later tracked down and killed by conservation officers.

The 6-year-old suffered severe puncture wounds and lacerations and was reported in stable condition Monday in a hospital.

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