16-year-old dead from bear mauling in Bird Creek ID’d

A 16-year-old male runner is dead after being mauled by a black bear during a race in Bird Creek Sunday.
The teen, identified Monday as 16-year-old Patrick Cooper, was running the Bird Ridge Junior Divison race when he got lost and veered off the trail, according to Park Ranger Tom Crockett with Chugach State Park. Shortly after, he called his brother, who was also racing, to say he was being attacked by a bear, Crockett added. The brother was near the finish line when it happened and ran t