An American hunter in British Columbia was killed in a bizarre accident when the wounded bear he shot the day before charged at him.
Washington State native Jeff Cooper was a skilled and experienced hunter according to the Daily News in Lower Columbia. But the one game prize that had eluded him was a grizzly bear.
A week ago, while hunting with guides in northern B.C., Cooper came close to realizing his dream. He shot and wounded a grizzly.
The next morning, Cooper and two hunting guides tracked the animal down.
The businessman, who owned a sawmill in Washington State and was on the hunting trip for his 59th birthday, was killed by a bullet after he and the guides came across the angry, wounded animal.
All three hunters reacted instantly when the animal charged at them from the bush, firing their weapons. Cooper, who was standing in front of one of the guides, was struck by a bullet and killed, according to his family.
Cooper’s wife Shirley said her husband was an avid outdoorsman.
It was his passion. He just loved being out in the woods. He hiked. He hunted. He fished.”
RCMP had a hard time reaching the scene. The accident happened near Burns Lake, a 12-hour drive from the Washington-B.C. border and authorities had to drive 70 miles on forest roads from Houston, British Columbia, to get to the wounded hunter.
Cooper was dead by the time they arrived, said Corporal David Tyreman, a spokesman for the RCMP. It was not clear whether he died immediately or some time after the shooting.
