A 12-year-old River Falls boy saved his father, who was pinned down by a 200-pound bear while legally hunting in the woods of northwestern Wisconsin earlier this month, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune.
A Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources conservation officer confirmed the bear encounter involving 43-year-old Ryan Beierman and his son, Owen.
The incident occurred Sept. 6 by their cabin near Siren, a Burnett County village about 93 miles from Minneapolis, during an afternoon hunting trip.
While in a tree stand over a bait station, Owen spotted, shot and struck the bear. However, it ran out of sight. About 20 minutes later, Owen and Ryan started to track it down, using their neighbor’s chocolate Labrador for assistance. During their search into the night, the dog saw the bear and retreated.
“I reached for my sidearm, initially hoping to scare the bear away with a warning shot,” Ryan told the Star Tribune. “He was only 5 to 6 feet away, point-blank. As he charged, I shot to kill. I shot eight times but missed. I had no time, and I never got the gun high enough to use the sights.”
During the struggle, Ryan said he started pistol-whipping the bear. The animal bit his arm and forehead. Owen grabbed his rifle and fatally shot the bear.
“I was flat on my back and could feel the bullet go through the bear,” Ryan told the Star Tribune. “Owen was a hero. He shot that bear and killed it on top of me.”
Neighbors helped him out of the woods and took him to a nearby hospital, where he received 23 stitches. He suffered several injuries to his face, right arm, and leg, according to the report.
Taylor Ardrey is a news reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach her at tardrey@gannett.com.