Child Released, Father Hailed Hero After Mountain Lion Attack in Olympic National Park
Child Released, Father Hailed Hero After Mountain Lion Attack in Olympic National Park
A 4-year-old child bitten by a mountain lion in Washington state’s Olympic National Park over the weekend has been released from a Seattle trauma center and is in satisfactory condition. The child’s father is being widely praised as a hero for his swift actions that observers say saved his child’s life during the rare encounter.
The incident occurred near Hurricane Ridge on Sunday afternoon while the child was walking with family. National Park Service officials confirmed that the cougar, which was fitted with a tracking collar, was located and “dispatched” by Monday. Park officials have assured the public there are no current threats following the animal’s removal.
Witnesses, including hiker Steve Murrow, recounted hearing screams and seeing the mother holding the injured child. Murrow and his father-in-law, Mike Flenniken, stated that other witnesses confirmed the father’s direct intervention to separate his child from the cougar. “I don’t think that kid would survive if it wasn’t for his dad jumping in,” Murrow told CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV, emphasizing the father’s heroic actions. The park service has not released identifying information about the child or family.
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