Scoutmaster escapes bear attack in Rockaway Twp.
A Boonton Boy scoutmaster was pulled into a cave, attacked and injured by a bear Sunday near Splitrock Reservoir in Rockaway Township, according to a spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.
The scoutmaster, identified as Christopher Petronino, 50, of Boonton, was scratched, bitten and cornered in the cave for more than an hour before three Boy Scouts in his group lured the animal out of the cave with food, according to DEP Press Director Bob Considine.
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Petronino relayed dramatic details of the attack to Division of Fish and Wildlife conservation officers hours after being airlifted to Morristown Medical Center, where he was treated for bites and scratches to his scalp and legs.
“Thank you for the outpouring of love and support for Chris," Petronino's wife, Lydia, wrote in a statement issued through Morristown Medical Center. "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. There will be no further information provided at this time.”
VIDEO COURTESY OF NEWS12:
Petronino told the officers that he took the scouts to an area off Charlottesburg Road, southeast of Lake Winnebago near Buck Mountain. He planned to show them a small talus cave, which he has known about since the early 1980s and where he had never encountered a bear. He walked up a rocky hillside to a low-lying crevasse in a wall that was the entry to the cave.
After Petronino entered the cave, a black bear grabbed his foot and pulled him in. The bear then bit his leg, his right shoulder and his left shoulder. Petronino defended himself by striking the bear twice in the head with a rock hammer, then pulled his sweatshirt over his head and curled into a fetal position to "play dead," according to officials.
Petronino said he yelled to the scouts outside the cave to leave and go get help. The Scouts called 911 with Petronino’s phone, but could not answer some of the dispatchers questions relating to their location.
The bear remained in the cave with the victim for a substantial amount of time. Petronino advised that he kept his back to the bear and described how he could hear it “huffing.” Petronino did not observe any ear tags or collar on the bear and could not estimate its size.
Petronino later yelled to the boys to take out any food they had (bananas and nuts, according to Considine) and leave it at the mouth of the cave. The Scouts reported that the bear eventually walked out of the cave. A dog accompanying the hikers barked at the bear, which then ran up a hill and away from the area.
The Scouts, who officials said were 12 to 14 years old, did not enter the cave and did not have direct contact with the bear.
"That's what scouting is all about," said Fish and Wildlife Director Dave Chanda. "It teaches young boys responsibility and they certainly demonstrated it in this situation."
Once Petronino heard the bear leave the cave, he then exited it, retrieved his cellphone and contacted emergency services to provide a better location of where they were.
Eighty minutes passed between the scout’s call to 911 and Petronino’s call to emergency service, Considine said.
Petronino told the officers that he has never observed a black bear in that cave or in the surrounding area. His said his last visit to the cave was two to three weeks ago.
Rockaway Township Mayor Michael Dachisen, however, said the area is known for having a visible bear population.
"I've been going through there my entire life," Dachsen said. "Everyone knows it is bear country. Attack is kind of a harsh word. Was he defending his area or what? It seems it was more of a defense than an attack."
"Clearly he couldn't have been totally aware of the black bear surroundings he was in," Chanda said. "He was in that cave earlier, so I guess in his mind he felt nothing would be in there. It goes back to any time you're anywhere in the wilds of New Jersey, you have to be careful. You could encounter a rattlesnake, You could encounter a bear."
"We are concerned about the Scout leader and what has happened, and we hope he will fully recover. We need to look at what happened in context of the DEP bear management plan," said Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club and a longtime opponent of the state bear hunt. "The DEP has said that the hunt is needed because of nuisance bears and a day after the hunt ended, we had an encounter. This shows us that their bear management plan is not working. We are not educating people on what to do in bear country. Individuals and hiking groups in bear country need to stay on trails, not have food with them and stay away from caves or dens. These are the things having a real education program would teach people to make them safer. Having warning signs and education materials posted at trail heads would also help."
Conservation officers believe the bear was protecting its hibernation location and they do not, at this point, consider the bear to be an aggressive Category I bear. The bear is not being hunted, nor are officials setting traps for it, as was initially reported.
The Hanover-based Patriots' Path Council of the Boy Scouts of America released a statement that the scoutmaster and boys were on an excursion that "is not related to scouting."
"Those involved were not involved in an official scouting activity or outing and were out exploring the wilderness on a personal trip," wrote Patriots' Path Executive Dennis J. Kohl. "I can, however, confirm that the individuals involved are members of our scouting family and that they remain in our thoughts and prayers. We hope for a speedy recovery. Beyond that, I hope you understand that out of respect for the families involved, we do not release personal details about our volunteers or our youth members."
The Scouts were transported to Rockaway Township police headquarters, where they were released to family members. Fish and Wildlife officials said no charges or citations are pending, but the encounter was being investigated.
Bear attacks on humans are extremely rare in New Jersey, but the first documented fatality — a 22-year-old man — occurred on Sept. 14, 2014, in West Milford.
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NEW JERSEY ANNUAL BEAR HUNT PHOTOS:
New Jersey black bear population was estimated at 3,500 prior to the recent annual state bear hunt, which was extended this year by an unprecedented four days that concluded Saturday. The 10-day hunt ended with 510 kills.
"We just killed 510 bears and we had an incident the day after the hunt ended," Tittel said. "Clearly, the hunt did not work. The state needs to put in place a real bear-management plan to protect our citizens instead of just continuing expanding the ineffective hunt. Bears are usually docile and are more afraid of people than we are of them. Bears are wild animals and need to be respected. Most bears avoid people, but bears that have been feed or exposed to food from humans then see people as a source of food and become aggressive. Bears don’t become aggressive that day, it happens over time because they have been fed by humans."
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"The good thing is that the kids and their scoutmaster are safe, and will be home for Christmas," Dachisen said.
The mayor also praised the quick response to the scene by the township and neighboring municipalities, including Picatinny Arsenal.
Rockaway Township police said the response included aerial search conducted by the New Jersey State Police Northstar helicopter.
Northwestern New Jersey has one of the nation’s densest populations of black bears, a situation that is forcing bears to expand territory into more populated areas of the state.
Staff Writer William Westhoven: 973-917-0242; wwesthoven@dailyrecord.com.
For more on bear categorization, visit: http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/bearfacts_resandmgt.htm
YOUTUBE VIDEO: Bear Fight Rockaway NJ Aug 14 2014:
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