Latest news with #SteveMurrow
Yahoo
22-07-2025
- Yahoo
‘Hero' father pulls four-year-old child out of mountain lion's jaws in Washington state
A mountain lion bit a four-year-old child on Sunday while the child hiked with family on Hurricane Ridge in Washington state's Olympic national park, authorities said. The child's father reportedly saved the minor's life by pulling the child from the creature's jaws. The harrowing – though rare – encounter occurred at about 3.15pm, according to a National Park Service statement. Early reports indicated that a collared cougar attacked the child while on a well-traveled trail. Related: These women are raising endangered butterfly larvae from prison: 'They reconnect with their own brilliance' Park rangers later tracked and euthanized the animal the next morning, according to officials. Emergency crews from the Clallam county fire district – who responded to the attack alongside park personnel – airlifted the injured child to a trauma center in Seattle. Park officials said the father may have saved his child's life by quickly intervening in the attack on a heavily used trail known for its expansive views. Witnesses who spoke to a local news outlet commended the man's bravery. Hiker Steve Murrow, who was on the same trail that day, told the Seattle television station KIRO: 'I don't think that kid would survive if it wasn't for his dad jumping in. 'I mean, he's a hero. You know, it just boils down to safety in numbers and it is rare that something like this would happen.' Murrow recalled realizing what was happening after hearing the 'screaming of a small child'. He and his father-in-law, Mike Flenniken, told KIRO that they arrived to find the child's mother holding the child, who was surrounded by people offering help. They were then told the father pulled the child away from the attacking lion. The Harborview medical center listed the child's condition as satisfactory, and facility officials said the minor had since been discharged, KIRO reported. The cougar involved had been wearing a GPS collar, and the attack site was near a scenic lookout known as Victoria Overlook on Hurricane Ridge. Officials said there was no ongoing danger to visitors at the park. They did not release information about the child's identity, citing privacy concerns. Mountain lion attacks on humans remain extremely uncommon in North America. The Mountain Lion Foundation says less than one such attack has occurred annually since 1868. Experts say these animals generally avoid humans, though sightings and encounters have slightly increased since conservation policies ended bounty hunting and allowed cougar populations to rebound. Only two people have died from mountain lion attacks in Washington state in the past century, and just about 20 other cases have resulted in injuries, according to the state's department of fish and wildlife. Nonetheless, when such cases do occur, they generate significant media attention. In March 2024, a group of women in Washington wrestled their friend out of the jaws of a cougar after the animal encountered and attacked them while they were on a biking trip, resulting in national news coverage. Solve the daily Crossword
CBS News
22-07-2025
- CBS News
Dad hailed as hero after mountain lion bites 4-year-old in Olympic National Park in Washington state
Port Angeles, Wash. — The father of a 4-year-old is being hailed as a hero after, park officials say, the child was bitten by a mountain lion while walking with their family over the weekend on a popular trail in Olympic National Park in Washington state. The child was flown to a trauma center in Seattle for treatment after Sunday's attack, according to a statement from the National Park Service. CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV reports that Harborview Medical Center said the child was in satisfactory condition and has since been released. The attack by a mountain lion fitted with a tracking collar was near an overlook on Hurricane Ridge, a popular mountain area with expansive views. The attack was reported to rangers around 3:15 p.m. on Sunday and paramedics and park staff traveled to the injured child, according to the park service. Rangers immediately started searching for the cougar and were joined by a canine team at about 5 p.m., the statement said, adding that rangers found the cougar shortly after the canine team joined the effort. By Monday, park staff had "dispatched the animal," the statement said, using a term that generally refers to killing an animal. "There are no current threats to the public," the statement said. Officials said they wouldn't be releasing any identifying information about the child to protect their identity. KIRO says Steve Murrow told the station he was hiking on Hurricane Trail with his family the same day the attack happened. He says they didn't see the attack but heard screaming when they were approaching the area. "We heard like screaming of a small child," Murrow said. Murrow and his father-in-law, Mike Flenniken, told KIRO they walked up and saw the mother holding the child and a group of people comforting the family. Murrow and Flenniken say witnesses told them the father was able to get his child away from the cougar. Both believe his actions saved the child's life. "I don't think that kid would survive if it wasn't for his dad jumping in," Murrow said. "I mean, he's a hero. You know, it just boils down to safety in numbers and it is rare that something like this would happen."
