A father, now hailed as a hero, courageously jumped in to save his 4-year-old child who was attacked by a mountain lion in a Washington national park. While injured, the child managed to recover and has since been released from a local hospital.
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According to the National Park Service, the incident occurred on July 20 at the Olympic National Park in Washington State. At around 3:15 p.m., rangers were notified of the attack, learning that a collared mountain lion had bitten a child who was walking with their family on a popular trail near the Victoria Overlook area on Hurricane Ridge.
Steve Murrow, who was present at the scene with his family, ran into the child and their family moments after the attack. They were startled by the child’s screaming.
“There was a group of people walking briskly by. We think it was the mom holding the child. The kid was crying still. Wasn’t screaming, but sobbing,” Murrow told KIRO7. “There was a woman next to them leaning on the mom’s back saying, ‘You’re doing good. You’re doing good.’”
“And then there was another group of people behind them and they were all huddled up and like ‘you guys need to be careful. There was literally just a cougar or a wolf attack.'”
Child Recovered
As reported by the outlet, the child was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center. After being treated for their injuries, the child was listed in satisfactory condition. They have since been released.
Murrow revealed that it was the child’s father who jumped in to save his son. He hailed him as a “hero.”
Rangers began searching for the mountain lion shortly after the incident occurred. A canine team joined the rangers at around 5 p.m. Shortly after, they were able to locate the cougar but weren’t able to dispatch the animal. They were able to do so the following morning.
Should someone encounter a cougar, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service recommends making oneself appear larger and more aggressive. Without turning away, people should raise their arms and throw stones or branches. Approaching, running past, or bending over in the presence of a mountain lion are vehemently discouraged.