A MOM-OF-THREE has been left with severe injuries after a horrifying bear attack just a few feet away from her front door.
Ariean Fabrizio Colton from Kenai, Alaska, was heading out for an early morning jog on Tuesday when she came face-to-face with the animal and it dragged her away from her home.
Ariean Fabrizio Colton was left with severe injuries to her head and face[/caption]
The mom-of-three has undergone ‘extensive surgeries’ and will remain in hospital and rehabilitation for a long time[/caption]
Colton had just left her home in Chinook Drive in the Kenai neighborhood to go for a jog when the attack happened[/caption]
The 36-year-old was later found bleeding heavily in the woods with serious injuries to her face and head.
The neighbor who found her had been awoken by strange noises that he assumed were from a bear.
Around 30 minutes later, after still hearing the noises and thinking the animal was mauling a dog, he decided to go outside and investigate.
“He heard the barking, wolfing sound of a bear, he’d been around bears before and he thought a bear might have got a dog and was doing something in the neighborhood,” Alaska Wildlife Trooper David Lorring told locals news outlet KTUU.
“He didn’t really think much of it and then he heard it some more.
“[In] daylight, he walked out there and located a female in the woods on his property.”
Despite the severe wounds to her head, Colton who was in shock, was awake and able to talk.
She was immediately picked up by a medical helicopter and taken to a hospital in Anchorage where she has undergone “extensive surgeries,” her family have said on a GoFundMe page.
“She is stable, but has suffered severe injuries that will require extensive surgeries and a long hospital stay,” they wrote.
“The family lives 2.5 hours from the hospital and will need a lot of support as Ariean recovers.”
At the time of writing, the fundraiser setup to help pay for medical bills, surgeries, and rehabilitation has raised over $58,000 of its $100,000 goal.
“Ariean is a loving wife, mother of three, and a nurse, known for her adventurous spirit and love of nature,” the family added.
“She is extremely kind-hearted, strong, and resilient, and is always willing to help those in need.
“Please keep Ariean, her husband Tyler, and their three children in your thoughts and prayers as they continue to work toward a full recovery.”
The nurse and her family had only moved to Alaska this summer and was just 50 yards from her front door when the shocking incident took place, Lorring said.
“The bear came out of another property, it looks like it attacked her… and dragged her approximately 100 yards down the road onto this guy’s property.”
It is believed to have been a brown bear which had fled the area and has yet been tracked down by Wildlife Troopers, Fish and Game, or the Kenai Police.
Neighborhood patrols have been rolled out in the area with warnings to locals to be extra vigilant as they fear the bear attacked Colton after being surprised by her and to protect a food source.
Lorring has told residents to be aware that bears are now bulking up for winter with berries and salmon and to be especially cautious when out in the woods and near rivers.
“Make sure you can hear your surroundings and what is going on,” he said.
“And that can be as simple as putting in one AirPod and not two.”
Experts have warned that bears are bulking up for hibernation meaning they will be more protective of food sources (stock)[/caption]
The family had just moved to Alaska this summer[/caption]
