Drama: Awaiting forensic report on hiker’s cause of death – “The bear attacked him,” says his friend

A hike through the Frakto Forest by two friends, aiming to visit the wreckage of a World War II aircraft, tragically took a fatal turn for one experienced hiker.

This unprecedented incident culminated in disaster when, on Tuesday morning, the body of a 61-year-old man was discovered in a ravine. Authorities received an eyewitness account suggesting that the victim fell into the ravine after a bear attack.

The eyewitness recounted how the attack unfolded, noting that the bear charged at his friend, causing him to tumble into the ravine.

“My friend Christos and I went for a day hike in Frakto Forest to see the aircraft he had recently discovered, then began our return. At one point, near a peak, he went to take in the view. I stayed 10 meters ahead and then heard him shout, ‘Dimitris, come see a bear,’” said the friend of the deceased hiker.

Describing his next actions, he said, “I approached the cliff edge, thinking the bear was about 100 meters away,” but then he heard Christos call out again, ‘Dimitris, come see a bear.’”

“As I navigated through some fir trees, I heard a commotion. The bear was just six or seven meters from Christos, who tried to fend it off with a small spray he had. It ran toward me, and I saw it just two to three meters in front of me. I was in shock. Our dog jumped in front, startling the bear momentarily. Then it stood up and lunged at me. I barely managed to pull out my pepper spray and used it, causing the bear to flee,” he recalled.

According to him, the bear then went after Christos, “pushing him into the ravine. It shoved him—either with its legs or body, but he disappeared as if he never existed. I believe it pushed him.” “It was an enormous bear; I’ve never seen one that large before. I think it was a very big adult male,” he added.

Recalling the attack, he noted: “When it charged, I heard ‘oh, oh, oh,’ then Christos’s first fall followed by a cry of ‘ah’ with a second fall soon after. After that, there was silence. I don’t remember what happened afterward with the bear—I have a memory gap during that moment.”

“I crouched among the fir trees, thinking it offered good cover, and shouted, hoping to hear a response from him—nothing. I called 166, then 112, to provide coordinates. I contacted friends because the area was hard to access; there were cliffs, making entry possible only from certain points,” he recounted.
The funeral for the 61-year-old will occur this afternoon at the Holy Metropolitan Church of Drama after the autopsy.

The forensic examination results are awaited to clarify lingering questions and determine the exact cause of death for the unfortunate man, who remained in the ravine for nearly 24 hours before firefighters located him and transported him to the hospital, where he was declared dead.

From the moment this tragic incident was reported, it became evident that the prospect of finding the 61-year-old alive was slim, as the ravine is about 1,000 meters deep and weather conditions were challenging. The combination of darkness and the area’s inaccessibility made it increasingly difficult for the Hellenic Rescue Team (EMAK) and volunteer rescuers to offer immediate help.

Notably, the Fire Department’s emergency center received the distress call from the victim’s friend around 3 p.m. Though rescue teams promptly set out, they faced hours of delays before reaching the location. Similarly, volunteers found the deceased’s friend, but the 61-year-old was not located until after nightfall, necessitating the search to resume at dawn.