3 men attacked, injured by black bear
Updated: 2:50 p.m. | Posted: 7 a.m.
Authorities say a black bear that attacked three people in northern Minnesota has been killed.
The Department of Natural Resources said the bear attacked two carpenters working on a garage near Isabella, Minn. on Tuesday. The DNR said the bear first attacked Gary Jerich, 54. When the second man, Daniel Boedeker, 58, tried to intervene, he was attacked and bitten on the arm.
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Boedeker said the 200-pound bear might have "chewed me to pieces" if not for Jerich. Boedeker said after the bear knocked him down, Jerich stepped in.
"He grabbed one of the sawhorses, he clobbered the bear, the bear was on top of me, he clobbered the bear with that and busted the sawhorses," said Boedeker.
He said Jerich also struck the bear with a piece of siding and a shovel to drive it off. When the two reached their van to drive away, the bear was still chasing them.
Lake County Sheriff Carey Johnson said the same bear attacked a 68-year-old man a short time earlier in the same area after he tried to save his dog from the animal.
The victim, Bill Vagts, drove himself to a hospital in Ely. Johnson said the bear was later tracked down and killed by officers. The DNR says bear attacks are unusual, especially this time of year when they should be hibernating.
MPR News reporter Mark Steil contributed to this report.