Michigan man suffers punctured arms in Alaska bear mauling
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A Michigan man suffered serious puncture wounds to his arms during a bear mauling in Alaska, but he was able to stop the attack using pepper spray on the grizzly, officials said Wednesday.
Nicholas Kuperus, 33, was able to contact Alaska State Troopers via a satellite communications device after the late Tuesday afternoon attack. Troopers say in an online post that hey were able to transport him to a waiting ambulance in the community of Glennallen.
Kuperus and his fellow hunters surprised the female grizzly with three cubs while hunting in the upper East Fork Indian River area, troopers said.
The sow mauled Kuperus in the attack about 60 miles north of Glennallen, but troopers say he was able to stop and deter the attack with the pepper spray, also called bear spray.
Troopers responded to the scene via a state aircraft. The PA-18 Super Cub was able to land on a nearby ridge top, and they transported him to the ambulance in Glennallen, located about 180 miles northeast of Anchorage.
Kuperus' home town in Michigan was not immediately available.