Brian, Tricia and Brady Hurt spotted the exhausted bear swimming on Marshmiller Lake, in Wisconsin, during a fishing trip around sunset.
Initially, the Hurts thought it was a log or a dog until they got up close and saw it was a struggling bear. “We thought it was a black lab in the water and had a jug on its head,” said Brian to Kare 11. “Then, as we got closer my wife is like, ‘No, that looks like a bear.’”
The family soon realized the mammal was suffocating and had to be rescued.
“You could hear the bear huffing and breathing very hard, just gasping for air,” said Brian.
“We made the first swing past it and I was able to grab the jug,” Brian said. “And I pulled on it as hard as possible. But then I lost control and slipped off that wet plastic.”
During the second attempt Hurt managed to get the jug off the bear and the animal pulled away and headed straight for shore.
“Go!” Tricia instructed the bear after it was released. “We saved our little bear,” she continued, “Swim happy!”
When the bear managed to reach dry land the family recalled how they could hear it fall to the ground with relief.
The family did contemplate what to do if the bear tried to get on the boat instead of swimming back to shore.
“We don’t want him in here, once you get it off,” said Tricia with a laugh in the video as Brian carried out the rescue. Trisha later said she would have jumped out of the boat if the bear had climbed in.
Wisconsin is home to around 24,000 black bears, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Hunters have registered bears weighing up to 700 pounds in the state. The bulk of the bear population is generally found in the northern third of the state.
The general advice for those who encounter black bears is to back away slowly, do not run. If a black bear charges stand your ground and make loud noises. Walkers should carry a bell so bears can hear them approach.
