Colorado Skier Nearly Collides With Black Bear Charging Across Slope: WATCH
A skier had a close call Sunday when he nearly collided with a black bear that was charging across the slope.
Brian O’Neal was racing down the Last Chance run — ironically, his first run of the day — at Keystone Ski Resort with his son when he saw the animal coming.
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"We were heading over to Summit Express and just came around the corner, and all the sudden, there was a bear," O’Neal told KDVR. "It just happened so quick, it was hard to really react, it was just like holy crap. I yelled for my son because he was in front of me, and he didn’t even see it because it kind of came between us."
No one expects to see a bear on the slopes!
(Getty Images)
Fortunately, both O'Neal and the bear escaped without injury.
O’Neal, who's been skiing for more than two decades, said he's never seen a bear on the slopes.
"I guess there’s a first time for anything," he said. "You see deer every now and then. You see moose up there, especially in the summer, but never a bear on the ski slope."
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The wild incident was caught on camera thanks to Nathan Lynch, a resort employee, who had received a report that a bear was spotted in the area and set out looking for the animal.
Following the incident, Vail Resorts spokesperson Sara Lococo encouraged the public to exercise caution and to report any wildlife sightings to the Keystone emergency service team.
"When recreating outdoors and in the mountains, it is important to always be aware of surroundings, to respect wildlife and give them plenty of space by observing from a distance, and to never approach, chase or feed wildlife," Lococo said in a statement.
The incident occurred the last day before the resort closed for the season. Until November, the slopes now belong to the bears!
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