Bear cam viewers help stranded hiker in Alaska

Explore.org: ‘Bear cam saves a hiker’s life!’
Bear cam fans alerted site to stranded hiker
Hours later, park rangers brought the hiker to safety

Updated: Sep 12, 2023 / 12:05 PM CDT

Katmai National Park is currently home to some of the world’s largest bears, the fattest of which can weigh over 1,200 pounds in late summer and early fall.
(Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — Viewers watching a bear livestream at an Alaskan national park helped rescue a stranded hiker last week.

Explore.org said on Sept. 6 dedicated bear cam fans alerted them to a man in distress on Dumpling Mountain. Speaking to the bear camera there, the hiker reportedly said “lost” and “help me.”

The site notified Katmai National Park, who they say “sprung into action and mounted a search, saving the man.”

A National Park Service spokesperson told The Washington Post that the hiker was caught in windy and rainy conditions with poor visibility before park rangers found him a few hours later and brought him back to safety.

Katmai National Park is almost exclusively accessed by boat or plane. Established in 1918, the national park and preserve has gained popularity online in recent years for its “Fat Bear Week” voting since some of the largest brown bears on Earth make their home along Brooks River in the park.

Fat Bear Week 2023 is expected to kick off in early October.