Anchorage, bear bites teen, Far North Bicent. Park

[uppityperson]

(Who wrote this story? Copy edit please)
http://www.adn.com/front/story/450061.html

A teenage girl riding in an all-night bicycle race suffered severe injuries early this morning when a bear attacked her on a trail in Far North Bicentennial Park, authorities said. Police officers with shotguns escorted medics into dark woods to retrieve the girl, who was to undergo surgery at Providence Alaska Medical Center. The hospital reported she was still in surgery at 6:30 a.m. As of 11 a.m., no other information was available from the hosital. "She was cut up and bit pretty good," said Anchorage Police Officer Jean Mills.
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Rick Sinnott, a wildlife biologist with the state Department of Fish and Game, went to the scene and said it could have been the same grizzly sow that charged two runners about two weeks ago on a nearby trail.
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The girl had just come off the Gasline Trail north of Hilltop ski area and was entering the Rover's Run Trail, which goes along the south fork of Campbell Creek, when the bear attacked, Sinnott said.Most likely the grizzly, which has a pair of cubs, was fishing for salmon in the creek and might not have heard the cyclist coming due to stream noise and strong winds roaring through the forest, he said.(clip)
Mills, the police officer, opened a bag containing the injured girl's bicycle helmet, which the bear had chewed up. It was lucky she had the helmet on, as the bear attempted to chomp her head, Sinnott said. He questioned the wisdom of bicyclists riding all night through bear territory. "A midnight race along a salmon stream is probably a pretty bad idea when the salmon are there," Sinnott said....(more)

[snowbear]

1. I hope she's doing ok..

Our news has been doing a pretty good job of reporting on her, but they didn't mention her condition on tonight's news (unless I missed it)

She's only 14 years old..

I hope she'll be ok.

NBC Anchorage- http://www.ktuu.com/Global/story.asp?S=8576047