US Forest Service Law Enforcement Officer Brad Treat Attacked And Killed By Grizzly Bear While Mountain Biking Near Glacier National Park
West Glacier, Montana – At around 2 PM on Wednesday, June 29, Brad Treat, 38, was killed by a grizzly bear while mountain biking near Halfmoon Lakes in the Flathead National Forest south of Glacier National Park in Montana.
Treat, A US Forest Service law enforcement officer, was riding on a trail with another mountain biker at the time of the attack. They surprised the bear on the trail and the bear pulled Treat from his bike. The other rider escaped uninjured and was uninvolved in the attack. He went for help. Treat was pronounced dead on the scene.
The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ Wildlife Human Attack Response Team and the U.S. Forest Service are investigating the incident. Authorities are currently searching for the grizzly bear.
The incident happened about a mile from the West Glacier KOA campground, which is about three miles from the Glacier National Park entrance in West Glacier.
Approximately 1000 grizzly bears live in northwest Montana. This is the first fatal grizzly bear attack in northwest Montana since 2001. There have been only 10 bear-related deaths in Glacier National Park since the park opened in 1910 (CBSLocal.com). There have been 6 fatal grizzly bear incidents in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem since 2010. Considering the number of people who work, live, and play in grizzly country, incidents are rare. If you choose to recreate in bear country, please carry bear spray and always be bear aware.
We will update this post when more information becomes available.
Update 3/7/17: The GreatFalls Tribune provides further details about this grizzly encounter.
Map shows general area where deadly grizzly attack happened:
