Cynthia Dusel-Bacon, a 30-year-old geologist, survived a harrowing black bear attack on August 13, 1977, in remote Alaska. The bear dragged and mauled her for over an hour, leaving her with both arms ripped off. Despite the severity of her injuries, she lived to tell the tale.
The Attack
Cynthia was working for the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in Alaska, completing her third field season. She had been dropped off by helicopter in a remote area near the Salcha River, about 60 miles southeast of Fairbanks. While collecting rock samples, a small black bear burst through the brush just 10 feet away. The bear had likely been trailing her for some time, waiting for the ideal moment to attack.
She yelled at the bear and struck a rock with her geologist's hammer to create loud noises, but the bear was undeterred. As she moved backward to create space, the bear circled around and attacked her from behind, sending her crashing to the ground. Following advice she had received, Cynthia played dead, but this proved ineffective as the bear continued to maul her.
Desperate Rescue
The bear dragged Cynthia for half an hour, tearing and gnawing at her right arm. With her left arm, she managed to retrieve her walkie-talkie radio from her pocket and call for help. By the time rescuers arrived, the bear had eaten most of her arms. A bear thought to be responsible was later shot and killed.
Cynthia was airlifted to a hospital and survived, though she lost both arms. She was provided with prosthetic arms and had to adapt to a new way of living, relying heavily on her feet for tasks like opening doors.
Aftermath and Legacy
Following the attack, the USGS changed its policy and began offering firearms training to staff working in wilderness areas. Previously, the project chief had believed that "guns added more danger to an encounter than they would prevent," as Cynthia recounted in a taped interview with author Larry Kanuit. She noted that the chief "strongly discouraged us from carrying any kind of a firearm."
Cynthia now serves as a geologist emerita volunteer at the USGS, though she has not undertaken fieldwork since 2010. She continues to enjoy hiking and playing the harmonica. Black bear attacks on humans are exceptionally rare. Leading Canadian scientist Stephen Herrero, along with colleague Susan Fleck, studied the causes of such attacks. Herrero stated: "Food stress was previously suggested as a contributing factor in a series of five black bear-inflicted injuries (including one fatal) in Alaska." He added: "However, if a relationship exists between food stress and black bear attacks, it is a complex one... There have been many years of major food stress for black bears without human injury resulting."
