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October 8, 2004
Mauled woman escapes grizzly
BILL KAUFMANN and PABLO FERNANDEZ, Edmonton Sun
LIVINGSTONE FALLS -- After being mauled by a grizzly, a 54-year-old woman walked to safety yesterday before being airlifted to Calgary. Fran Nykoluk, of Calgary, was hunting elk with her husband Rick in the Isolation Creek area, about 70 km southwest of Calgary, when they became separated in the bush.
It's believed the couple shot an elk and the woman had gone on alone to retrieve their kill when a grizzly sow with two cubs came upon the scene and attacked her.
One report suggested the bears were scared off by Rick, while others revealed Fran may have played dead to avoid being killed by the grizzly.
She suffered punctures to both shoulders, and other injuries to her face and a leg but her wounds weren't life-threatening.
"Things are not very good," said an emotionally-drained Rick Nykoluk as he waited during his wife's surgery.
The woman's son, Brad, said his mother was tough and would fight through the crisis.
"She just got done wrestling with a grizzly bear," said Brad.
"We've got a lot of confidence in her. Fortunately, she's got no internal injuries or broken bones Brad said he believed his mother had a hunting rifle at the time of the bear attack but couldn't get off a shot.
Fran, a volunteer with Foothills Search and Rescue, walked to a trail head and was found by some passing workers and taken to a nearby gas compression plant, said a local paramedic.
She was treated by members of Foothills Regional EMS at the plant, where STARS air ambulance then landed and transported her to Foothills Hospital, where she had surgery last night.
"She's going to be fine, but scarred," said Lynn Talbot of STARS air ambulance.
A neighbour described Rick Nykoluk as "absolutely ashen" when he returned to his southeast home before leaving for the hospital to be near his wife. but she's getting all stitched up."
Mauled woman escapes grizzly
BILL KAUFMANN and PABLO FERNANDEZ, Edmonton Sun
LIVINGSTONE FALLS -- After being mauled by a grizzly, a 54-year-old woman walked to safety yesterday before being airlifted to Calgary. Fran Nykoluk, of Calgary, was hunting elk with her husband Rick in the Isolation Creek area, about 70 km southwest of Calgary, when they became separated in the bush.
It's believed the couple shot an elk and the woman had gone on alone to retrieve their kill when a grizzly sow with two cubs came upon the scene and attacked her.
One report suggested the bears were scared off by Rick, while others revealed Fran may have played dead to avoid being killed by the grizzly.
She suffered punctures to both shoulders, and other injuries to her face and a leg but her wounds weren't life-threatening.
"Things are not very good," said an emotionally-drained Rick Nykoluk as he waited during his wife's surgery.
The woman's son, Brad, said his mother was tough and would fight through the crisis.
"She just got done wrestling with a grizzly bear," said Brad.
"We've got a lot of confidence in her. Fortunately, she's got no internal injuries or broken bones Brad said he believed his mother had a hunting rifle at the time of the bear attack but couldn't get off a shot.
Fran, a volunteer with Foothills Search and Rescue, walked to a trail head and was found by some passing workers and taken to a nearby gas compression plant, said a local paramedic.
She was treated by members of Foothills Regional EMS at the plant, where STARS air ambulance then landed and transported her to Foothills Hospital, where she had surgery last night.
"She's going to be fine, but scarred," said Lynn Talbot of STARS air ambulance.
A neighbour described Rick Nykoluk as "absolutely ashen" when he returned to his southeast home before leaving for the hospital to be near his wife. but she's getting all stitched up."
