Mountain Lion Attacks Boy in British Columbia
A 12-year-old boy camping in British Columbia was attacked by a mountain lion last week but was amazingly saved by the fast thinking and quick kicking maneuvers of a Canadian soccer coach.
Colton Reeb was camping with a friend and her family northeast of Kamloops when the 70-pound cat attacked him while he was walking to the outhouse. Mark Patterson, 45, heard the boy’s screams and came running to find Reeb being mauled, his chest and head being clawed and bitten by the animal. Patterson kicked at the mountain lion’s head five times without success so he squeezed the lion’s throat until it let go. Now having the animal’s complete attention, the soccer coach held off the cat for several more minutes through just hand-to-paw combat before the lion finally took off back into the woods.
Reeb was sent to the nearest hospital and then airlifted to the B.C. Children’s Hospital in Vancouver for treatment on the bite and claw wounds he sustained on his face, neck, head and chest. Representatives for the family stated that he received more than a hundred stitches and may need some plastic surgery.
Robin Reeb, Colton’s father, says Patterson is a hero. “He attacked this thing with his bare hands and kicked the s*** out of it,” Reeb said. “If it weren’t for him, my son would be dead.”
Though animal attacks are rare, we all must be conscious of the wildlife that is around us when we are camping, hunting or hiking. Take precautions when you are in areas that are homes to mountain lions, bears and other predators.
