A four-year-old child was mauled by a mountain lion while hiking with family on Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park, Washington state, on Sunday, authorities said. The child's father intervened, pulling the youngster from the animal's jaws in what witnesses described as a heroic act.
The attack occurred at approximately 3.15pm on a well-traveled trail near a scenic lookout known as Victoria Overlook, according to the National Park Service. A cougar wearing a GPS collar was involved. Park rangers later tracked and euthanized the animal on Monday morning.
Emergency crews from Clallam County fire district, alongside park personnel, airlifted the injured child to a trauma center in Seattle. Harborview Medical Center listed the child's condition as satisfactory and later discharged the minor, according to local reports.
Steve Murrow, a hiker on the same trail, recounted hearing the screaming of a small child and arriving to find the child's mother holding the youngster, surrounded by people offering help. He praised the father's quick response, telling KIRO: "I don't think that kid would survive if it wasn't for his dad jumping in. I mean, he's a hero."
Mountain lion attacks on humans remain extremely uncommon in North America, with fewer than one incident per year on average since 1868. In Washington state, only two fatal attacks have been recorded in the past century, and around 20 others have resulted in injuries. The incident echoes a similar attack in March 2024, when a group of women in Washington wrestled a friend free from a cougar during a biking trip.
