Passing helicopter rescues man harassed by bear in Alaska

NOME, Alaska (AP) — A miner who said he was harassed by a bear for seven straight nights in the tundra near Nome was rescued when a passing Coast Guard helicopter spotted the SOS, an internationally recognized sign for help, on top of his cabin.

The man, who was not identified by the Coast Guard in a statement, was taken to waiting rescue personnel in Nome.

The helicopter crew was flying from Kotzebue to Kodiak July 16 when it saw the SOS sign on top of the building. The crew circled back over the mining camp and saw a man waving two arms in the air, another recognized sign of distress, the Coast Guard statement said.

The man requested medical assistance after the helicopter landed, saying he had been attacked by a bear a few days earlier.

The man appeared to have a leg injury and bruising on his torso, the Coast Guard said.

The man said the bear had returned to his camp and harassed him every night for the previous week, according to the statement. Friends the same day the man was found had reported him overdue when he hadn’t returned to Nome.

The Coast Guard statement didn’t specify what type of bear was involved.

Nome, a Bering Sea coastal community, is about 535 miles (861.00 kilometers) northwest of Anchorage, on Alaska’s western coast.