Watch bear accidentally swim down big rapids in California

We all make mistakes sometimes. This bear got a little more action than he bargained for!

Hiking in the States can be a little different to here in the UK, as Chas Davis found out when backpacking through Yosemite national park. He was filtering some water from the river in the morning, when two bears showed up and attempted to cross the fast-flowing river.

Unfortunately the bear mis-judged the current and was swept into a large rapid downstream. Davis and two friends filmed the escapade from a bridge, initially amused and impressed (they knew how cold and strong the water was from fording a different part of the river the night before), but became nervous as the bear was dragged towards them.

They assumed it would still be strong enough to drag itself out before the rapid, but unfortunately that didn’t happen and feeling guilty they stopped filming as it was sucked downstream.

Bear Accidently Gets Sucked Down Waterfall

“Here I am filtering my morning water where I made camp last night when this guy and its buddy come to check me out…the first one hops in but underestimates the current & gets sucked down the waterfall behind me & shoots the whitewater rapids tumbling end over end until the video ends…I shut off the video fearing the worst…when the bear scampers out as far as I can see downriver…seemingly OK.

However luckily the story finishes with a happy ending. While not shown in the video, the bear was able to scramble out of the river below the rapid and ran off, seemingly unhurt.

Davis described the incident: “Here I am filtering my morning water where I made camp last night when this guy and its buddy come to check me out… The first one hops in but underestimates the current & gets sucked down the waterfall behind me & shoots the whitewater rapids tumbling end over end until the video ends… I shut off the video fearing the worst… When the bear scampers out as far as I can see downriver, seemingly OK. I don’t think a person would have bounced like this thing did…”

The backpackers then left the bridge in the hope that the second bear would use it to cross over and rejoin its soggy friend on the other side.

 

OAG