Florida Teen Recovering From Bear Attack
The girl survived after she "played dead," her mother said.
— -- A Florida teen is recovering this morning after being attacked by a bear.
Leah Reeder, 15, sustained injuries to her legs, back, neck and face, her mother Sherry Mann told ABC affiliate WMBB-TV in Panama City.
“Even as I sit here now, I can’t believe it happened,” Mann said. “The bears are all over the place, and I know how hard I would fight to protect my kids, but a momma bear can do so much more damage than me with just one swipe.”
The attack happened near dusk Sunday in Eastpoint, Franklin County, on Florida’s panhandle. Mann told WMBB her daughter was walking her dog when the bear attacked, dragging the teen into a ditch.
Her daughter “played dead” and the bear retreated, Mann said. The girl sustained deep wounds across her face, but Mann said her daughter remained upbeat.
“She managed to crack a few smiles at me before she went in for surgery,” Mann told WMBB.
Florida Fish and Wildlife authorities received a report of the encounter and worked to trap the bear Sunday.