Two teens injured in black bear encounter on Washington state trail

Two teenagers sustained injuries during a black bear encounter on Mount Si in Washington state Tuesday afternoon. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) reported that one teenage boy received scratches when a black bear charged his group of three hikers approximately 2.7 miles up the trail.

King County Search and Rescue (KCSAR) responded to the scene and transported the injured hiker to a local hospital. A deputy from the King County Sheriff’s Office described the injuries as "very minor" but acknowledged the hiker was "terrified." The bear reportedly "tossed him around a little bit, but nothing serious."

In a separate incident, another group of hikers reported being followed closely by a black bear for several miles. While exiting the trail, they observed a second, smaller bear. This second group included a teenage hiker who fell and twisted her ankle while fleeing from the bear, according to the King County Sheriff’s Office.

Authorities confirmed that two individuals were injured in total and were safely brought off the trail. The bears were believed to be a mother and cub. The Mount Si trail was closed while WDFW officers attempted to locate the animals, but the search concluded without success later that evening.

The Mount Si Natural Resources Conservation Area is scheduled to reopen the Mt. Si, Little Si, and Mount Teneriffe trails on Thursday. Bear warning signage will be posted at the trailheads. The WDFW noted that the only fatal black bear attack on a human in Washington state occurred in 1974, with approximately 20 documented human-black bear encounters resulting in injury since 1970.

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His injuries were very minor, but he was, of course, terrified. The bear tossed him around a little bit, but nothing serious. He’s on his way to the hospital right now to be checked out, get the wounds clean and maybe get some antibiotics.