Steve Fidel, Deseret Morning News Jake Francom shows a pillow that was dragged away from his tent by a black bear early Saturday, a day before Sunday night’s fatal mauling in the same primitive area. Dark marks on the pillow are the bear’s paw prints.
This past summer in Utah a family camping trip turned into a tragedy when 11 year old Sam Ives was dragged from a tent and killed by a black bear. When one enters the wilderness where does personal responsibility begin and government involvement end? Camping in bear country certainly involves some risk but at the same time does government agencies have a responsibility to close an area if there is problematic bear activity? It is important to point out, that as I reported this summer, only hours before at the same campsite there was human bear encounter when a bear attempted to drag a man from a tent.
Government officials responded with tracking dogs but because of poor conditions the search was unproductive and called off. Should have the primitive campsite been closed by officials? I don’t know for sure but I tend to lean towards not.
Why weren’t they warned?
“We would have known something was up if there was just yellow tape up there, and I would still have my son,” a tearful Ives said at attorney Allen K. Young’s Provo office.
Their suits are seeking $2 million from the U.S. Forest Service and $550,000 from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources (DWR), which is protected by a state-mandated damages cap.
I traveled through that part of the country only weeks before these tragic events and there is ample opportunity for encounters with nature to go really bad. I think people entering the wilderness have a responsibility to prepare for these potential dangerous situations. If we expect government to post about dangers we might face the wilderness may become one large bulletin board. I’m glad I don’t have to decide and we’ll see what the courts say if this case goes forward.
