A U.S. Coast Guard aircrew rescued a man Friday near Nome who said he was attacked by a bear.
Officials say the Kodiak-based helicopter crew was flying from Kotzebue to Nome when they saw an SOS sign on top of a shack near a remote mining camp. The crew circled back and spotted a man in front of the shack waving down the helicopter with both hands.
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The man told the crew that a bear had attacked him a few days earlier, and had harassed him for a week straight. The man had bruising on his chest and a leg injury, according to Coast Guard officials.
Officials say friends of the man reported him overdue when he hadn’t returned to Nome.
The Coast Guard crew transported the man to Nome, where he received medical attention.
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Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
