1 of 3 | A solo hiker was attacked by a bear Tuesday while hiking in Yellowstone National Park. File Photo by Kimimasa Mayama/EPA
Sept. 17 (UPI) -- A man suffered serious injuries after being attacked by a bear Tuesday while hiking by himself in Yellowstone National Park.
The attack occurred while the man was hiking Turbid Lake Trail, which is located east of Yellowstone Lake, a press statement said. Park officials have since closed the trail and are investigating the attack on the unidentified 29-year-old man.
The man deployed bear spray but still suffered "significant but non-life-threatening injuries to his chest and left arm," the statement said. Park medics responded to the incident and walked out with the hiker, who was transported to Lake Medical Clinic and later flown to a hospital.
The hiker thought the bear was a black bear, but park officials suspect it was a grizzly bear considering its size and behavior, according to the statement. Bear management staff plan to attempt DNA analysis to confirm the species.
