A California boy who was attacked and dragged away from his father by a mountain lion in an open preserve is recovering at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, and listed in fair condition.
He was among a group of 10 — including his parents, two other parents and some children — who were hiking at the Picchetti Ranch Open Space Preserve, The Associated Press said. The boy’s father said his son was 10 feet ahead of the group when a mountain lion “came out of nowhere” and grabbed him, said Lt. Paul Foy, with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, AP reported.
“It’s quite extraordinary the lion would attack a person with so many people in the immediate vicinity,” Mr. Foy said.
The boy’s father and another man shouted at the lion and scared it away, AP reported.
“He’s very, very lucky that the parents were so close,” Mr. Foy said, AP reported.
Authorities searched for the lion, but have not been successful. Monday, they planned to deploy dogs to find it and kill it, “in the interest of public safety,” Mr. Foy said, AP reported.
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• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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