Dad hailed as hero after mountain lion bites 4-year-old in Olympic National Park in Washington state

Port Angeles, Wash. — The daddy of a 4-year-old is being hailed as a hero after, park officers say, the kid was bitten by a mountain lion whereas strolling with their household over the weekend on a preferred path in Olympic Nationwide Park in Washington state.

The kid was flown to a trauma middle in Seattle for therapy after Sunday’s assault, in response to an announcement from the Nationwide Park Service. CBS Seattle affiliate KIRO-TV reviews that Harborview Medical Middle mentioned the kid was in passable situation and has since been launched.

The assault by a mountain lion fitted with a monitoring collar was close to an overlook on Hurricane Ridge, a preferred mountain space with expansive views.

The Olympic Mountains are seen past a forest from Hurricane Ridge within the Olympic Nationwide Park, close to Port Angeles, Wash, in July 2019.

Elaine Thompson / AP

The assault was reported to rangers round 3:15 p.m. on Sunday and paramedics and park employees traveled to the injured little one, in response to the park service.

Rangers instantly began looking for the cougar and had been joined by a canine crew at about 5 p.m., the assertion mentioned, including that rangers discovered the cougar shortly after the canine crew joined the hassle.

By Monday, park employees had “dispatched the animal,” the assertion mentioned, utilizing a time period that typically refers to killing an animal.

“There aren’t any present threats to the general public,” the assertion mentioned.

Officers mentioned they would not be releasing any figuring out details about the kid to guard their id.

KIRO says Steve Murrow instructed the station he was mountain climbing on Hurricane Path together with his household the identical day the assault occurred. He says they did not see the assault however heard screaming after they had been approaching the realm.

“We heard like screaming of a small little one,” Murrow mentioned.

Murrow and his father-in-law, Mike Flenniken, instructed KIRO they walked up and noticed the mom holding the kid and a bunch of individuals comforting the household.

Murrow and Flenniken say witnesses instructed them the daddy was in a position to get his little one away from the cougar. Each consider his actions saved the kid’s life.

“I do not suppose that child would survive if it wasn’t for his dad leaping in,” Murrow mentioned. “I imply, he is a hero. You already know, it simply boils all the way down to security in numbers and it’s uncommon that one thing like this may occur.”