Polar Bear attacked cruise passenger (or employee?) and killed: Svalbard

[GeezerCouple]

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/cruises/1922257-polar-bear-attacks-cruise-ship-employee-bear-killed.html#post30022582

 

 

Apparently, a Polar Bear attacked a group disembarking the Bremen, on one of the northern Svalbard islands.

It was shot and killed.

 

Bear killed, condition of employee unclear.

 

Anyone have a link to more details here on CC?

I can't seem to find the right cruiseline or Roll Call.

 

After our wonderful Hurtigruten RT Norwegian Coastal, we were considering Svalbard or similar locales.

 

Thanks.

 

GC

[hallasm]

Such incident is very rare and I'm sure that Hurtigruten as a native Norwegian company knows how to avoid such situation.

This is the latest news from the NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) translated from Norwegian to English.

https://www.nrk.no/troms/mann-i-40-arene-moderat-skadd-etter-angrep-av-isbjorn-1.14144006 (in Norwegian Language)

 

A German employee on the cruise ship "MS Bremen" receives treatment at a hospital after a polar bear attacked during a visit to the country.

 

The Rescue Center in Northern Norway received a message at 9am on Saturday (July 28, 2018) that a person had been injured by polar bears on Sjuøyane, which is north of Svalbard.

 

A man in the 40s from Germany was injured. He was first treated aboard the cruise ship, where he was employed before being later transferred to the hospital in Longyearbyen in Svalbard for further treatment.

 

- The injured person is stable and is moderately injured. He will be transported to the University Hospital of Northern Norway in Tromsø for further treatment, reports a press officer at UNN, Jørn Resvoll, to NRK.

 

The injured arrived at Longyearbyen Hospital just before 2:30pm Saturday

 

Investigates the case

Just after 2 pm on Saturday afternoon, chief executive officer Ole Jakob Malmo at the Governor of Svalbard was unable to provide NRK with any specific information about the incident.

 

- Our personnel are on site and have started investigations. They are on their way into a trace of the investigation, but beyond that there are no more details about the accident, "says Malmo.

 

Cruise ships on expedition

The man was attacked when he landed with a group of cruise tourists on the Sjuøyene islands, north of Svalbard. It was the cruise ship who reported about the incident.

 

The polar bear was shot and killed on the spot and the injured was taken back to the cruise ship. There the person received treatment and the condition was described as stable on Saturday morning.

[GeezerCouple]

This is the latest news from the NRK (Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation) translated from Norwegian to English

 

https://www.nrk.no/troms/mann-i-40-arene-moderat-skadd-etter-angrep-av-isbjorn-1.14144006

 

A German employee on the cruise ship "MS Bremen" receives treatment at a hospital after a polar bear attacked during a visit to the country.

 

The Rescue Center in Northern Norway received a message at 9am on Saturday (July 28, 2018) that a person had been injured by polar bears on Sjuøyane, which is north of Svalbard.

 

A man in the 40s from Germany was injured. He was first treated aboard the cruise ship, where he was employed before being later transferred to the hospital in Longyearbyen in Svalbard for further treatment.

 

- The injured person is stable and is moderately injured. He will be transported to the University Hospital of Northern Norway in Tromsø for further treatment, reports a press officer at UNN, Jørn Resvoll, to NRK.

 

The injured arrived at Longyearbyen Hospital just before 2:30pm Saturday

 

Investigates the case

Just after 2 pm on Saturday afternoon, chief executive officer Ole Jakob Malmo at the Governor of Svalbard was unable to provide NRK with any specific information about the incident.

 

- Our personnel are on site and have started investigations. They are on their way into a trace of the investigation, but beyond that there are no more details about the accident, "says Malmo.

 

Cruise ships on expedition

The man was attacked when he landed with a group of cruise tourists on the Sjuøyene islands, north of Svalbard. It was the cruise ship who reported about the incident.

 

The polar bear was shot and killed on the spot and the injured was taken back to the cruise ship. There the person received treatment and the condition was described as stable on Saturday morning.

 

Thank you.

 

One of the news stories (I've since found 2 short ones) mentioned the injured (or someone else, not entirely clear) was a "polar bear guard", which is required there.

Is that correct? Are they required to be armed (carry weapons)?

 

In doing a Google search for more details, I was surprised there have been a few in the past years.

Yes, still a "very rare event", but I was surprised that it wasn't a "once every couple of decades" type of thing, if cruise ship excursions are "doing this/going there".

 

Is this type of expedition a "hiking through the snow" kind of thing, or....?

 

Thanks again.

 

GC

[G.M.T.]

Such incident is very rare and I'm sure that Hurtigruten as a native Norwegian company knows how to avoid such situation.

 

The MS Bremen does not sail under the Hurtigrutenflag but belongs to a German cruise company Hapag Lloyd.

[GeezerCouple]

The MS Bremen does not sail under the Hurtigrutenflag but belongs to a German cruise company Hapag Lloyd.

 

I'm sure Hallasm knows the Bremen is not part of Hurtigruten, and assume he was responding to my concern about a possible cruise to the same area, but on Hurtigruten.

 

GC

[hallasm]

I'm sure Hallasm knows the Bremen is not part of Hurtigruten, and assume he was responding to my concern about a possible cruise to the same area, but on Hurtigruten.

Thank you

[hallasm]

Thank you.

 

One of the news stories (I've since found 2 short ones) mentioned the injured (or someone else, not entirely clear) was a "polar bear guard", which is required there.

Is that correct? Are they required to be armed (carry weapons)?

 

In doing a Google search for more details, I was surprised there have been a few in the past years.

Yes, still a "very rare event", but I was surprised that it wasn't a "once every couple of decades" type of thing, if cruise ship excursions are "doing this/going there".

 

Is this type of expedition a "hiking through the snow" kind of thing, or....?

Yes, they are required to carry weapons - If you move outside of Longyearbyen it is a requirement to carry weapons - guided tours must have armed guards.

Not been in Svalbard yet, temperature right now in the range of 2 to 4 C - So I would expect snow and ice,

[GeezerCouple]

Yes, they are required to carry weapons - If you move outside of Longyearbyen it is a requirement to carry weapons - guided tours must have armed guards.

Not been in Svalbard yet, temperature right now in the range of 2 to 4 C - So I would expect snow and ice,

 

Hmmmm.... I had no idea that there was such a risk!

Yes, I know it's still low, but not nearly as low as I would have thought.

 

Is this just in Svalbard, or are there other areas of the arctic - accessed by cruise or expedition ships - that also have this, er, "feature"?

 

Thanks.

 

As DH just put it in response to my comment about this, "You DO realize that it's THEIR home, right?" ;)

Fair enough.

 

GC

[OCruisers]

Thanks for the updates!

[hallasm]

Hmmmm.... I had no idea that there was such a risk!

 

Yes, I know it's still low, but not nearly as low as I would have thought.

 

 

 

Is this just in Svalbard, or are there other areas of the arctic - accessed by cruise or expedition ships - that also have this, er, "feature"?

 

 

 

GC

 

I do Not consider it being risky to visit Svalbard. Greenland does have the same “feature” - Hurtigruten does also offer cruises along the west coast of Greenland.

 

From Norwegian Polar Institute publikation

From 1870–2014, we documented 73 attacks by wild polar bears, distributed among the 5 polar bear Range States (Canada, Greenland, Norway, Russia, and United States), which resulted in 20 human fatalities and 63 human injuries. We found that nutritionally stressed adult male polar bears were the most likely to pose threats to human safety.

 

(PDF) Polar bear attacks on humans:.... Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318110246_Polar_bear_attacks_on_humans_Implications_of_a_changing_climate [accessed Jul 29 2018].

 

 

 

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[tring]

 

As DH just put it in response to my comment about this, "You DO realize that it's THEIR home, right?" ;)

Fair enough.

 

GC

 

That is the sentiment that came to our minds - it is a point. They are out there fending for themselves, rather than looking for a local Tesco's. It is a shame the bear was killed rather than just sedated, though perhaps it would then be considered a future risk.

 

We have a poster on the wall by our computer, which we bought in Svalbard a number of years ago. Has a lovely picture of a bear with the icy surrounds and is a warning poster for people who are out there. The advice is to not leave food/rubbish in/near a campsite or attempt to lure/pursue a bear. Rule one is to always carry a weapon if outside the main settlements of Svalbard - so, yes there would always be an armed guard if going outside the boundaries of e.g. Longyearbyen. I remember seeing warning signs at the edge of Longyearbyen and Ny Alesund, saying you should not go beyond that point if not armed. The signs were like road signs with red borders.

 

If I remember correctly, we were told that there is an alarm system to warn if a bear strays in or near the settlements, when I assume people would not be allowed outside the buildings. Hence if you are on a normal cruise line visiting Longyearbyen etc., I would suggest any risk would be pretty much zilch if you stay in the compound or go with an organised group. I think you will find most risk would be to expedition groups (either researchers or tourists who go off into the hinterland on a big trek, camping en route). Would be the same in Africa etc. in a safari park. The standard tour group/cruise ship will have had it well risk assessed and, if the procedures are followed properly, should be totally safe - they would not visit those places otherwise.

 

Off course the bears are protected as well and any perceived risk to the bear population would mean that tourists would not be allowed to visit the area anyway. Bears can only be shot if posing a real risk, otherwise it is illegal to shoot them, as I understand.

Edited July 29, 2018 by tring

[G.M.T.]

As DH just put it in response to my comment about this, "You DO realize that it's THEIR home, right?" ;)

Fair enough.

 

GC

Totally agree.

 

The bears are protesting about the intrusion of cruise ship passenger into their area, just like many humans around the world, just look at trhe dwemos in Venice and Barcelona. Unluckily bears get shot.

 

Interesting BBC article, there are 18 cruise ships due to visit Longyearbyen this week alone:

 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-44996873

 

The cruise industry keep churning out bigger ships without any due thought to the destinations. I see this daily in my home town of Passau, more and more boats being built but the number of docking areas remain stagnant. So cruise passengers complain about the boats being rafted and all they can see from their expensive balcony is a balcony on another ship.

 

 

Good luck to the polar bears - maybe I should adopt one.

[ljandgb]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned the fact that the bears are "nutritionally stressed" (nice way to say starving) as their ice habitats, and therefore food sources, have been melting. I just read an article recently discussing an inland Canadian research station that had a polar bear come thru their camp. They had no protocol or warning system set up because no one had ever seen one that far inland before. Most of their buildings were tents and they were forced to gather in one of the few hard sided buildings until the bear decided to move on. I'm sure as their habitats and food sources shrink further there will be more incidents.

 

I hope the guide is ok.

[hallasm]

It's always a problem when a polar bear can smell food.

[hallasm]

Latest update from http://svalbardposten.no/nyheter/cruise-ansatt-42-skadd-i-hodet-da-besetningen-gikk-i-land/19.10073

Translated from Norwegian

The Governor announces Monday morning that they are still investigating what happened when a German man was attacked by polar bears on Phippsøya on Saturday morning (July 27)

"We have clarified some of the events," says Ole Jakob Malmo, chief executive officer.

According to the Governor, twelve employees from the cruise ship "Bremen" landed on the shore on Phippsøya from two light boats at about 08.30.

They should prepare reception of tourists on the beach. It was in this connection that one in the sequel was attacked by a polar bear.

- The attack occurred on land. Injured, a 42-year-old German man, was injured in the head during the attack. Two of the others in the shot shot against the polar bear killed him, "says Malmo.

"The polar bear was first tried scared away by cry and signal gun without any effect," he said.

After the incident, the injured person was transported by helicopter to Longyearbyen hospital and later on Saturday night transferred to ambulance flight to UNN in Tromsø.

Communication counselor Jørn Resvoll at UNN says to Svalbardposten Monday morning that the patient is being hospitalized in Tromsø during the day.

The condition is the same as before. The man still has moderate damage after the polar bear attack and does not want to be interviewed by the media.

The polar bear is transported to Longyearbyen, where it will be routinely investigated.

- This is what we have of information about the case now. The further investigation will take some time, "said Malmö, a senior vice president.

 

 

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[hallasm]

Link to CNN https://edition-m.cnn.com/2018/07/29/world/polar-bear-killed-norway-cruise-guard-attacked/index.html?r=http%3A%2F%2Fnyheder.tv2.dk%2Fudland%2F2018-07-30-vagter-paa-krydstogtskib-skoed-isbjoern-dyreelskere-verden-over-i-oproer

 

 

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[dogs4fun]

I didn't think that a polar bear could fit through a window that small. Sheesh!!

[kaisatsu]

Although major cruiselines do visit Longyearbyen (and occasionally Ny Ålesund or Pyramiden), most of the “cruises” in Svalbard are expedition cruises. Many of the ships that spend the northern winter in Antarctica spend the summer in the high Arctic, often Svalbard. The staff are all highly trained to spot polar bears and to keep both the bears and the people safe. While fatal (for either human or bear) encounters are more common than many people think, these situations usually arise from land-based encounters, especially overnight camping, which involves an extremely rigorous procedure for bear deterrence and alerts.

[SarniaLo]

Agree with above advice that close (and dangerous) encounters with polar bears are extremely rare for expedition cruise passengers. The landing spots are chosen in are with a wide overview to be able to see a polar bear from far away, and if one is spotted the usual procedure is not to land (if landing has not begun) or abort the landing at once and get the people back on ship. There are indeed armed guards patrolling the whole landing area. This should (in theory) prevent any incident of this kind because the bear should be spotted long before it becomes a problem. It would be good to know the exact circumstances but I would not fear for my own safety in a Svalbard expedition trip based on this single incident.