JEROME, Fla. (WFLA) — Officers launched the heartbreaking 911 name from Monday’s bear attack that left an 89-year-old man and his dog dead in South Florida.
The practically 20-minute emergency name got here from Sue, the granddaughter of the sufferer, Robert Markel, who reported that he was lacking from his trailer in Jerome. Sue stated a bear killed Markel’s canine within the entrance yard.
“I want cops, and I want FWC,” the granddaughter tells operators. “A bear has obtained [redacted]. He is already killed a canine and now we will not discover [Markel].”
She stated she noticed the bear seize the canine, take him into the woods, and let the canine go after the relations had scared the bear off. Later, discovering the canine useless within the entrance driveway, the granddaughter checked the trailer, the place Markel had been sleeping.
Markel was gone and the trailer had been torn aside. The trailer was reported to be in “disarray,” with the mattress up and doing and objects scattered all through, FWC’s incident report stated.
She goes on to say that one of many bears continues to be within the space of SR-29, the place the assault was initially reported.
“I am placing my garments on and taking my gun, and I’ll search for this bear,” she added.
Later within the name, she advises that relations discovered Markel’s clothes and pockets roughly 20 yards from the trailer within the woods. The incident report stated the person’s shirt was saturated in blood.
The 911 operator then says they’re sending an ambulance, the hearth division, and an officer to the scene to reply.
Markel’s granddaughter tells officers that the bear went behind the camper, and that bears come out and in close to the camper each single day.
“There’s freaking 40 bears out right here, out and in each day taking rubbish and now they only resolve to kill [ineligible],” the granddaughter tells operators.
When FWC arrived on the scene, Markel’s physique was discovered round 100 yards from his trailer, lined in grime and leaves, the report stated.
In a Tuesday morning replace, wildlife officers confirmed the demise and removing of three bears that they shot. Their DNA samples had been taken to Gainesville for testing to find out if the assault was from a singular bear or from a number of bears. By Monday afternoon, 4 dwell traps had been deployed.
“The FWC want to lengthen our heartfelt condolences to the household and mates of Mr. Markel,” officers stated in an announcement to WFLA.com.
FWC stated that is the primary lethal bear assault in Florida’s historical past. Over the previous 15 years, there was a gradual rise in bear encounters. Nevertheless, throughout the previous 12 months, that quantity has plateaued, FWC’s Bear Administration Program Director Mike Orlando stated.
