A mountain lion killed one bicyclist and injured another near North Bend on Saturday morning, the King County Sheriff's Office said.
The injured person, a 31-year-old man, was taken to Harborview Medical Center and was in satisfactory condition Sunday, hospital spokesperson Susan Gregg said in an email. His identity and that of the person who was killed were not released.
A cougar believed to have been the one that attacked was tracked down and killed by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Sheriff's Office said.
Mountain lions are found around Washington state, but attacks are extremely rare. Only about two dozen people have been killed by mountain lions in North America in the past 100 years, according to the state wildlife department.
The only other recorded fatality in Washington state was in 1924, when a teenage boy was killed near Olema, south of Omak.
Adult male mountain lions average about 140 pounds, according to the wildlife department, but one weighing 197 pounds was collared recently in Washington state.
I am heading to the scene of the Cougar attack. One victim 40’s transported to HVH for treatment. Second victim found dead from attack. I will update with additional info when I arrive.
— King County Sheriff's Office PIO (@kingcosoPIO) May 19, 2018
Patient status update: The 31-year-old male who arrived at Harborview this afternoon as a result of a mountain lion attack near North Bend is being treated in the Emergency Dept. He is currently awake and alert and in serious condition.
— Harborview Medical Center (@harborviewmc) May 19, 2018
Update: Fish and Wildlife has euthanized the cougar that is believed to be responsible for killing one man and attacking another earlier today.
— King County Sheriff's Office PIO (@kingcosoPIO) May 19, 2018
