An Alaska-based US Army soldier is fighting for his life after he was struck by a falling bear he had shot during a hunting trip.
William McCormick, 28, was struck by both the black bear and tumbling rocks that dislodged during the bear’s fall.
McCormick, who is based in Anchorage, suffered life-threatening injuries.
US Army soldier William McCormick, 28, is fighting for his life after he was struck by a falling bear he had shot during a hunting trip
McCormick, 28, was struck by both the black bear and tumbling rocks that dislodged during the bear’s fall
McCormick and fellow Army soldier Zachary Tennyson, 19, were hunting above Carter Lake in the Chugach National Forest when they spotted the bear on Saturday.
McCormick and fellow Army soldier Zachary Tennyson, 19, (pictured) were hunting above Carter Lake in the Chugach National Forest when they spotted the bear on Saturday
‘The pair were hunting in the area and shot a bear above them on a ridge,’ Alaska State Troopers said.
‘The bear rolled down the slope, dislodging rocks in the process. McCormick was injured when he was struck by both a rock and the bear.’
Alaska State Troopers as well as officials from the Moose Pass and Bear Creek fire departments responded to the incident, according to KTVA.
Tennyson, who is stationed with McCormick at Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, was not injured during the incident.
Officials did not reveal how large the bear was or whether it was killed. McCormick’s current condition also has not been released.
The pair were hunting when they spotted a bear on a ridge above them and opened fire. The bear then fell and rolled into McCormick
It is legal for Alaska residents to hunt both black and brown bears as long as they have the appropriate hunting license.
Non-residents must be accompanied by an Alaska-licensed guide or an Alaska resident 19 years or older within the ‘second-degree of kindred’, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Both McCormick and Tennyson are soldiers serving the 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, according to a US Army Alaska spokesman.
McCormick is a specialist and Tennyson is a private first class.
Officials did not reveal how large the black bear was or whether it was killed. McCormick’s current condition also has not been released (file photo)