Alaska Department Of Public Safety,State Troopers Public Information Office

Dispatch Text:

On September 6, 2022 at 5:13 pm, Alaska Wildlife Troopers in Glennallen received a report of a bear mauling approximately 60 miles north of Glennallen in the upper East Fork Indian River. The victim, Nicholas Kuperus, age 33 of Michigan, and his hunting partners surprised a sow grizzly bear with three cubs. Kuperus was attacked by the sow and received serious puncture wounds to his arms but was able to deter and stop the attack using bear spray. Alaska Wildlife Troopers established communication with Kuperus via satellite communication device and responded from Glennallen in a State aircraft (PA-18 Super Cub), located a place to land on a nearby ridgetop, and transported him to an ambulance in Glennallen.