Bear tracks and broken branches were discovered by volunteer rescuers on Sunday evening at the Fraktos forest in Drama, near the ravine where the unfortunate 61-year-old man lost his life.
Christos Rammos, head of the OFKATH rescue team, informed protothema.gr that the victim’s cell phone was located within the first 25 meters of the ravine. The phone contained a video capturing the moment he encountered the bear shortly before he was pushed into the ravine.
“Dimitri, there’s a bear, get the spray”
“We viewed the entire recording from his cellphone,” Rammos explains, noting that “the bear fled as we approached. The video opens with a panoramic view, followed by shouts of ‘Dimitri, bear’ and ‘get the spray.’ You can hear the spray being deployed, see the dog charging at the bear, and then hear it growling,” he adds.
Shortly after, the video cuts off, likely at the moment the 61-year-old fell into the waterfall, leading to his tragic death.
The footage is now with the authorities, but rescuers were able to view it when the victim’s friend recounted the events that transpired during the incident.
“Upon our arrival, he provided us with a detailed account of what occurred. When the bear diverged from the path, the dog attacked it and remained there,” he stated, emphasizing that all speculation regarding the incident’s circumstances should be dismissed.
The Forensic Examination
The 61-year-old mountaineer’s death during a hike with his friend in the Fraktos forest was instantaneous.
Reports indicate that the forensic examination revealed no evidence of a bear attack that led to his fall, contradicting his friend’s account.
The autopsy findings, completed this morning, suggest that he died from a severe fall. According to coroner Nikos Kifnidis, he sustained multiple fractures including spinal, thoracic, and cervical injuries, alongside a ruptured spinal cord, rib fractures, internal hemorrhaging, and 2.5 liters of blood in the chest cavity.
Moreover, there were no signs of a wild animal attack such as claw or bite marks.
One theory being examined is that the 61-year-old man spotted the bear, became frightened, slipped, and subsequently fell into the ravine, but was not attacked, as forensic results show no contact with the bear prior to his fall.
Additionally, the victim’s mobile phone has been recovered and is undergoing analysis by the Hellenic Police Laboratories.
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