NEWS

EXCLUSIVE: Scouts share account of bear attack in Rockaway Twp.

Credit training for staying cool under pressure

William Westhoven
@WWesthoven

BOONTON TWP. — Two brothers who witnessed a bear mauling of their scoutmaster said Boy Scout training helped them to keep calm and work with police to complete a successful rescue.

Brothers Frankie and Vincent Lepore, 13 and 12 respectively, are two of three boys who witnessed a bear attack of their scout master on Dec. 20, 2015, in Rockaway Township.

"I've only been training as a patrol leader for a few months but in that situation, it came in really handy," said Frankie Lepore, 13, in an exclusive interview with the Daily Record.

Frankie and his brother, Vincent, 12, joined their township scoutmaster, Christopher Petronino, and his son for a Sunday afternoon hike in the deep woods of Rockaway Township on Dec. 20. Petronino told the boys he grew up in the area, knew it well and wanted to check out a cave he had seen. The hike was not an actual scouting event.

SEE ALSO: Scoutmaster escapes bear attack in Rockaway Twp. http://dailyre.co/1m2LQxP 

Backpacking their way on a marked trail between Splitrock Reservoir and Lake Winnebago near Buck Mountain, they veered off a marked trail to explore an area of boulders that gave way to a vertical opening Frankie described as more of a crevice than a cave.

The boys shied away from the opening as Petronino put one foot inside.

"He was standing there and the bear grabbed his leg and pulled him under," said Frankie, a First Class scout and a senior patrol leader. "He started yelling, 'Somebody help!' At first I thought he was joking because he was one of those scoutmasters who jokes a lot. But then he said 'Call 911.' I wasn't that close. I was off in the distance and called 911."

Frankie spent nearly 90 minutes on the phone with police dispatchers, trying to help them direct responders — including multiple agencies on the ground and a New Jersey State Police helicopter — to their location.

"It was frustrating, but I knew that if I was frustrated, that would just make it worse, so I tried my best to keep calm," Frankie said. "I was telling everyone what to do, and kept asking Mr. Petronino if he was OK."

Recordings of the 911 call detailed the lengthy conversation, with Frankie calmly asking questions, making suggestions and directing the other two other scouts to go back to the trail and look for the responders, but to stay within his eyesight.

"Remember, buddy system," Frankie told them.

Frankie also kept a cool head even during about six tense minutes when they were calling out to Petronino, but he did not respond.

"I was worried because I thought he was gone," Frankie said.

They also tried to lure the bear out by placing their food and snacks outside the opening, but "he didn't come out at all," Vincent said.

SEE ALSO: N.J. Officials: If bear attacks, go for the snout http://dailyre.co/1m4BE7Y 

Vincent also helped by setting a signal fire.

"We built a fire ring out of rocks so we could keep it contained," Vincent said. "And then we started it, and that's when the bear came out."

Vincent said he did not know why the bear left the cave, giving them their only glimpse of the bear, but his first thought when he saw it was "Run!"

Fearing the bear, all the boys ran from the area, following the trail to an intersection. But the bear ran off when the Petronino family dog, which accompanied the scouts, started to bark.

Petronino then exited the cave and called 911 himself. The ground responders arrived on the scene shortly after and airlifted Petronino to Morristown Medical Center with wounds to his arm, leg, head and neck.

SEE ALSO: Rockaway Twp. Bear attack: Minute-by-minute http://dailyre.co/1YT5msp

"He got me good," Petronino told the 911 dispatcher.

"Once the paramedics came they told us to stay where we were, far enough that you couldn't see (Petronino)," Frankie said.

When told their scoutmaster would be OK, "We were very relieved," Frankie said.

Petronino did not speak to the press, but his wife, Lydia, issued a statement after the incident through the medical center.

“Thank you for the outpouring of love and support for Chris," she wrote. "I especially want to commend the three boys who truly saved my husband’s life because of their quick thinking and brave actions. At this time, we request privacy as Chris begins his journey to recovery.”

The Lepore family also hopes to get back to life as usual. Frankie said his classmates at Rockaway Valley School, where he is in the eighth grade were asking if he was one of the unnamed scouts in the story before the holiday break began.​ Vincent, a sixth-grader, also attends Rockaway Valley.

"I also have some friends who are firefighters and they were asking if I was OK," he said.

"When Frankie called to tell us about what happened, he was worried we would be mad," said Frankie and Vincent's father, Frank Lepore. "My wife and I are just so proud of the boys and how they handled themselves."

Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-917-9242; wwesthoven@GannettNJ.com.