A 15-year-old boy has survived a terrifying bear attack in Russia after his smartphone reportedly caught fire and exploded during the mauling, startling the animal and causing it to flee.
The teenager was attacked by a brown bear near the remote village of Solton in Russia’s Altai region. According to local reports, he had climbed a tree in an attempt to escape, but the bear pulled him back to the ground and repeatedly attacked him.
The animal clawed and bit the boy, including on his backside, before his phone was damaged by the bear’s teeth. The device’s battery reportedly caught fire, causing burns to the teenager and frightening the animal away.
“The young man climbed a tree, but the animal knocked him down, causing multiple bites and injuries to his body and head,” authorities said.
A 24-year-old witness who was with the teenager said he heard the boy screaming and turned to see the bear dragging him down from the tree. He then released his dogs in an attempt to intervene.
The teenager suffered serious injuries to his head, chest and abdomen, as well as burns from the phone. He was taken to hospital, where he underwent a three-hour operation.
Sergei Kovyazin, chief physician at Biysk Central City Hospital, said the patient had sustained multiple injuries to his head, scalp, facial bones and neck, describing these as the most challenging injuries to treat.
The witness was reportedly unharmed.
The pair are believed to have entered the forest to check on the boy’s family beehives when the attack occurred, around 12 miles from Solton.
Following the incident, three rapid-response teams were sent to the area to locate the bear. At least a dozen hunters were also reportedly deployed to track down the animal.
Bad weather hampered the search, but the operation was expected to continue over the weekend.
The attack comes amid reports of a rise in bear-related deaths and injuries in Russia, where dozens of people have reportedly been killed and hundreds injured in encounters with the animals.
