A 21-year-old employee of the Kenai Princess Lodge in Cooper Landing is recovering from a brown bear attack that took place near the lodge Tuesday morning.
According to Alaska State Troopers, Danielle Compton, 21, of Valley Springs, Calif., was on her way to work when she spotted the bear between her and the lodge. Compton said she tried to scare the bear away by waving her arms and yelling, but the bear charged her and knocked her to the ground.
"She tried to scare it off ... it attacked her instead," trooper spokesperson Greg Wilkinson said Tuesday afternoon.
Compton was then forced into a struggle with the bear, reportedly kicking and hitting it while it continued its attack.
"It bit her once and dragged her a little ways," Wilkinson said.
Compton continued hitting the bear even as it drug her a couple feet. Her efforts paid off, as the bear eventually gave up and ran off into the woods.
Following the attack, Compton ran into the lodge's housing unit for help. She suffered puncture wounds to her right leg and a scratch on her leg. She was transported to Central Peninsula General Hospital, where she was treated for her injuries and released.
