LAKE WENATCHEE, Wash. -- A Bellevue city councilman is recovering after he was attacked by a bear Friday night at his Lake Wenatchee vacation home.
Bellevue councilman John Chelminiak is in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.
The attack happened around 8:45 p.m. off Lake Wenatchee near Wenatchee State Park. Chelminiak was spending the weekend with his wife at their vacation home. Chelminiak was walking their dogs when he was attacked by the bear. Chelminiak was able to yell a warning to his wife Lynn, who called 911.
Chelminiak was taken to Central Washington hospital in Wenatchee and airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. He reportedly had bite marks on his face, head and neck, and puncture wounds all over his body.
Fish and Wildlife Department agents used a bear dog to track down the bear, identified as a 6-10-year-old female black bear, about 400 yards from Chelminiak's house. Agents said the bear was thin and had no bear cubs. It also didn't run very fast and lingered at the scene when agents arrived.
Agents later shot and killed the bear. A necropsy will be conducted on the bear as well as a DNA test.
For the last 100 years, Jeffery McManus’ family has vacationed at his cabin in Leavenworth. He's seen bears before, but never has he heard of one attacking.
“Black bears usually aren't dangerous," he said.
Terry Hammond and his friends vacation right up the street from where the attack happened. It’s a neighborhood in the middle of the wilderness where turned over trash cans are possible signs of hungry bears in search of food.
"There's never been ... not too many attacks. We've seen bears, but never attacks,” said Jennifer Franza.
“They've been dumping garbage, pulling them up on the property, going through them. We always see the evidence, but only occasionally do we see them,” said Hammond.
McManus says food in the wilderness is scarce these days, and the bears are venturing out into this area.
He has a theory about why.
"The huckleberries didn't get ripe because of the weather," he said.
Family and friends are gathering with Chelminiak as he recovers at Harborview. That includes fellow Bellevue councilmember Grant Degginger, who has been friends with him for several years.
He says the family is shaken up over the attack, and Chelminiak is going through surgery to clean out his wounds.
"I was shocked,” said Degginger. “He is a great friend and outstanding city council member, and I'm just concerned about his well being and hope that he is able to recover quickly."
Degginger says they expect Chelminiak will be in the hospital at least through the weekend.
Chelminiak's family released the following statement after the attack:
John Chelminiak was attacked by a black bear while he was walking the family dog near the family's Lake Wenatchee cabin. John sustained injuries to his upper body. He is in stable condition at Harborview Hospital.
The attack occurred Friday evening at approximately 8:45PM. John was able to shout a warning to his family about the bear which then came near the house. His wife Lynn, found John, and she called 911. John was taken by EMT's to a Wenatchee hospital and subsequently flown to Harborview.
Chelan County Sheriff's deputies and representatives of the Department of Fish and Wildlife tracked and killed the bear 6-10 year old female bear. The circumstances leading to the attack are unknown at this time.
The family deeply appreciates the outstanding assistance of the Chelan County Sherriff's Office, the EMT's, the DFW representatives and the care provided by the staffs of both hospitals.
John has been serving as a member of the Bellevue City Council since his election in 2003.
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