Teen folk singer's horror final hike before being mauled to death my coyotes

Irish Daily Mirror

3 days ago

At just 19, Taylor Mitchell became the first adult ever to tragically lose her life in a fatal coyote attack while on a popular Canadian hiking trail, leaving experts puzzled over the circumstances of the tragedy.
Aspiring to be a professional folk singer, Taylor had released her debut album, For Your Consideration, which sadly turned out to be her final musical creation. After a bustling summer filled with performances, she set off on a mini tour across Eastern Canada, equipped with her new car and driving licence.
However, when she hit the road, neither the teenager nor her family could have anticipated that she wouldn't return home. Eager for an adventure, the singer arrived at the Skyline Trail, the most frequented walk in Cape Breton Highlands National Park, attracting up to 25,000 visitors annually.
Taylor was among the extremely unfortunate ones. Despite being appropriately dressed, carrying no food in her backpack, she was attacked by a pack of wild coyotes in broad daylight.
She was discovered on the Nova Scotia trail, believed to be shortly after the attack, but it was heartbreakingly too late, reports the Mirror. Taylor was a nature lover
Four fellow hikers stumbled upon Mitchell during the attack and did their utmost to frighten off the coyotes as she lay critically injured. Bizarrely, Taylor was seen both before and after the attack, but there were no witnesses to the actual mauling.
After hearing distant screams, several walkers were confronted with the horrific reality of Taylor's situation. Moments after her desperate cries echoed through the area, they stumbled upon her personal belongings scattered along the access road.
Keys and a small knife lay on the ground, soon followed by torn and bloodied clothing, as well as significant amounts of blood, all belonging to the 19 year old lass.
Shortly thereafter, at 3:25pm, the strangers found Taylor's body nearby, with a coyote looming over her. She was still conscious and able to communicate with her rescuers while they awaited medical help.
Paramedics managed to transport her to the Sacred Heart Community Health Centre in Chéticamp, where she was listed in critical condition before being airlifted to the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre. Tragically, despite the tireless efforts of the medical teams, Taylor succumbed to her injuries due to blood loss later that evening, on October 27, 2009. Taylor was rescued by fellow hikers and later died in hospital
Her heartbreaking demise left experts puzzled as to what provoked the coyotes to attack her, given there had been no previous reports or issues with the animals in the park. They opted to conduct tests to comprehend the nature of such a horror and discovered that the coyotes were actually eastern coyotes carrying a wolf gene, but the extent to which this contributed to Taylor Mitchell's death remains uncertain.
A tribute was paid to Taylor by her devoted sister Emily Mitchell through an obituary. The website reads: "Wise beyond her years and an environmentalist at a very early age, Taylor understood the unbreakable connection between animal and human life and was involved with various causes for habitat conservation.
"Taylor, whose musical star was on the rise, had a break during her first Maritimes tour and was doing what she loved-spending time in nature's fold-when the attack occurred."
Since that fateful day in 2009, no other adult has suffered a fatal coyote attack.