Seattle Area Mountain Biker Dead After Cougar Attack

Two men were attacked by a mountain lion in Washington on Saturday, killing one. Wikimedia Commons photo.

A mountain lion attacked two mountain bikers riding a trail near North Bend, Washington on Saturday, killing one and seriously injuring the second, according to KIRO. The animal reportedly stalked the men before charging them and attacking. The men hit the animal with a bike, scaring it off momentarily before it returned and attacked again.

Once it returned, the mountain lion jumped on one of the men, clamping its jaws around his head and neck. He managed to escape its grasp and jump on his bike to ride away, only to see it attack and kill his friend S.J. Brooks, dragging his body into the woods. The survivor, Isaac Sederbaum, rode nearly two miles bleeding heavily to find cellphone service and call 911.

The attack occurred outside North Bend, roughly 30 miles east of Seattle. 

Local police and wildlife officers tracked down the mountain lion to find it covering Brook’s body. They euthanized the animal and will perform a necropsy to determine if any sort of diseases may have contributed to the erratic behavior.

According to the Seattle Times, the 100-pound male animal was emaciated, which could explain its unprovoked attack on humans. Mountain lions do not typically attack humans unless cornered or provoked, with the last fatal attack recorded in 1924. They are a protected species in Washington, though the state allows 250 animals to be hunted and killed annually.