Latest news with #Kioroglou
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Seasoned Hiker Dies After Bear Pushes Him Into Ravine
What was supposed to be a routine hike turned deadly for a man in Greece on Monday. Christos Stavrianidis, a reportedly experienced hiker, was in Fraktou forest in northeastern Greece with his friend Dimitris Kioroglou, another hiking veteran, when tragedy struck. The two encountered a bear a few meters away from them when it began to attack. 'I didn't have time to react, that's the truth. My dog got in the way and gave me 2-3 seconds to get the pepper spray out. I sprayed her [the bear]. She ran away, went to Christos [the other hiker] who was on the edge of the cliff. She gave him a push and he fell down,' Kioroglou told the Greek newspaper, Kathimerini. Kioroglou, who credited his dog intervening with giving him the extra time necessary to escape, managed to take shelter in a tree and eventually called for help. Stavrianidis, meanwhile, fell down the 2,600-foot ravine. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to Agence France-Presse. The two men were reportedly hiking toward the remains of a Greek war plane that crashed in the area roughly 70 years ago. Spyros Psaroudas, a general coordinator of the environmental organization Kallisto, spoke with TV ERT and said the bear was likely "surprised" by the climbers. "Condolences to the man's family, he was a nature lover, in love with this area, he had visited it repeatedly and there is no doubt that what happened is something tragic that has shocked us all," Psaroudas said. "The animal was obviously surprised by the climbers. The use of spray is often recommended, but not in our country because it is illegal, but in countries like Canada or the United States, climbers are required to have such sprays, which are used to repel the animal. "Bears, like any other animal, feel the dog as an intruder in their space. However, we cannot know the sequence of events." Our thoughts and prayers are with Stavrianidis' family and friends during this difficult time. Seasoned Hiker Dies After Bear Pushes Him Into Ravine first appeared on Men's Journal on Jun 10, 2025
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Seasoned Hiker Dies After Bear Attacks and Knocks Him into 2,600-Foot Ravine
An experienced hiker is dead after a brown bear knocked him into a 2,600-foot ravine The incident happened on Monday, June 9 in northeastern Greece Another hiker who was with the victim at the time of the attack climbed a tree and eventually called for helpAn experienced hiker is dead after a bear attacked and pushed him into a 2,600-foot ravine in northeastern Greece, officials said. The incident took place on Monday, June 9, when Christos Stavrianidis and Dimitris Kioroglou were hiking together in Fraktos, a forest near the country's border with Bulgaria, CBS News reported. According to the Greek newspaper, Kathimerini, a large brown bear suddenly appeared, leaving the men with seconds to respond before Stavrianidis was killed. 'I didn't have time to react, that's the truth. My dog got in the way and gave me two to three seconds to get the pepper spray out. I sprayed [the bear],' Kioroglou said, per the outlet. He added, '[The bear] ran away, went to Christos, who was on the edge of the cliff. She gave him a push and he fell down.' Kioroglou, who survived, climbed a tree and eventually called for help, the outlet reported. Stavrianidis was found in the ravine, taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead from his injuries, per Agence France-Presse. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Panos Stefanou, a spokesperson for Arcturos, a non-profit wildlife organization, told Greek state-run television station, ERT, that the bear was probably trying to protect itself. "This is more a defensive behavior, not an attack. The bear is trying to push back what it sees as a threat," he said. According to Arcturos, there are likely about 450 to 500 brown bears living in Greece, with the largest populations concentrated in two of Greece's mountain ranges, including Rhodope, where Fraktos is located. Read the original article on People
