Tourist survives bear attack near Healy

On August 19, Alaska State Troopers (AST) reported receiving a SOS notification from a Garmin inReach device providing GPS location and message from Jonathan Geis, visiting from Germany, that read “BEAR ATTACK-HAD TO USE BEAR SPRAY-KNOCKED OVER, IN SEVERE SHOCK”.

According to an online dispatch, an Alaska State Trooper and a Tri-Valley Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Medic responded to the location several miles east and south of the McKinley Village Airport, near Revine Creek by charting a TEMSCO Flightseeing Helicopter based in Healy nearby.

Though Geis was located by the helicopter, there was no suitable area for a landing nearby, leaving TEMSCO to drop off AST and EMS on a ridge about 1,500 feet above and to the east from Geis. fter hiking to Geis and determining that and determined he was physically uninjured.

Geis had been attacked by a brown bear, which had attacked his backpack from behind while hiking in the dense forest near Revine Creek. The bear fled, only to immediately charge him again. Geis reacted by spraying the bear with Bear Spray, and it fleeing. Though he was physically uninjured, officials say he was mentally in shock and had discharged his only can of bear spray and was seeking rescue for fear of being attacked again.

AST did not locate the bear. AST and EMS hiked with Geis back up to the extraction point high on the mountain and was transported back to Healy by TEMSCO Helicopter.

AST would like to thank TEMSCO Helicopters Inc, and Tri-Valley EMS for their assistance.