How frantic, barefooted neighbours saved their friend after finding polar bear ‘jumping on his chest

[RockSushi]

[QUOTE]HURCHILL, Man. — Mitch Paddock was at a friend’s house in the town that’s known as the polar bear capital of the world when he heard the screams of a woman who had just left the gathering.

He ran outside in his sock feet and saw his retired neighbour, who he and others in the area have identified as Bill Ayotte, on the ground in front of his house being mauled by one of the huge white creatures.

“I didn’t know it was my neighbour at the time. It was just a guy on the ground,” Paddock said Saturday from Churchill, Man.

“He was on his back, the bear was right on top of him with both paws,” he said of the incident early Friday.

“It was dragging him around,” Paddock said. “It was pouncing on him. That’s what polar bears do. They take both their paws and they kind of smash. He was kind of jumping on Bill’s chest.”
He ran back to the scene and began firing, but the bear remained on top of his neighbour, undeterred.

Paddock said other neighbours came out, trying frantically to scare the bear off.

“Another neighbour, one of the guys who lives beside Bill, was throwing shoes and yelling at the bear,” he said.

“He was on his feet with three people helping him,” Webber said. “There was a lot of blood around his head.”[/QUOTE]
[URL="http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11/03/how-frantic-barefooted-neighbours-saved-their-friend-after-finding-polar-bear-jumping-on-his-chest/"]http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/11...-on-his-chest/[/URL]

[elix]

Or, as we call it in Canada, "Friday."

But seriously, lucky guy, and good work saving him, heroes.

[Whiterfire]

bears never expect a fight I guess

[TurboDweeb]

polar bears are the scariest bears

(Thanks LOST)

[Ogopogo]

[QUOTE=DChapsfield;42753089]polar bears are the scariest bears

(Thanks LOST)[/QUOTE]

Given that they are also the largest land predator and the largest one ever found (killed) weighed 1002kg, I wager so.

[DaCommie1]

There's a reason people in polar bear country usually have shotguns around.

[Provost]

[QUOTE=DaCommie1;42753250]There's a reason people in polar bear country usually have shotguns around.[/QUOTE]

Isn't there an island in Norway where it's pretty much SOP for the inhabitants to carry hunting rifles at all times?

[Ogopogo]

[QUOTE=Psychokitten;42753486]Isn't there an island in Norway where it's pretty much SOP for the inhabitants to carry hunting rifles at all times?[/QUOTE]

You mean the Svalbard Islands where the population of polar bears (3000) outnumber the human population (2400)? It isn't SOP, its actually required for one member of a party to carry a rifle outside of settlement limits.

[DaCommie1]

[QUOTE=Ogopogo;42753547]You mean the Svalbard Islands where the population of polar bears (3000) outnumber the human population (2400)? It isn't SOP, its actually required for one member of a party to carry a rifle outside of settlement limits.[/QUOTE]

Sounds like people operating in the Arctic here, a lot of people, companies, and/or government employees who work up north in remote areas either require or encourage their employees to get a rifle or shotgun, and on rare occasions they'll get a carry permit for a pistol.

[notgeogzm]

bearfooted

[heyitsdan]

If you read the full article the guy who got mauled is a hero. He's 69 years old, comes out from a party to find a Polar Bear attacking a 30 year old woman, so he grabs a shovel and tries to fight it off. I hope he makes a full recovery, he's a badass.