Bear Mauls Girl in Alaska Bike Race

A 14-year-old girl riding in a mountain bike race in Alaska was severely injured when she was attacked last night by a bear. She was able to make a brief emergency cell phone call and whisper the word "bear" that triggered an emergency search. The girl suffered head, neck, torso and leg wounds and was protected from even more serious wounds by her bike helmet. She underwent surgery and was in critical condition, police said.

Another bike rider stayed with her until rescuers arrived. "It had to be extremely unnerving, if not terrifying" to wait, knowing the bear could attack again, said a local official. Experts believe the teen was attacked by a female grizzly that charged two runners in the area earlier this month. The 24-hour bike race was canceled after the attack.
  (More grizzly bear stories.)